My Baker Boy
by crazhetalia
Summary: People told me I was on fire, that my passion for Peeta and that our love was breathtaking. What they don't know is that the fire, the passion, wasn't from our love. It was pure rage. Second in The Hanging Tree Trilogy.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't own the Hunger Games but I do own the OC's

Warnings: Mentions of prostitution, cussing, and death

~o~

The club vibrated from the loud, ear bursting, upbeat music that played. I rub my fingers in circler motions on my temples trying to keep a headache away. I was sitting in a darken corner, watching the Capitol citizens dance and mingle. I would have to go back out there soon and pretend like I was enjoying the attention they bathe me in. I let out a sigh as I got up from my safe haven and went to the group of waiting men and women. Plastering on a big fake smile, I listened and chatted with them all. Laughing with the women or flirting with the men, I would have to pick one of the men to take back to my room and let him have his way with me. I could feel my heavily makeup eyes water, quickly blinking away the tears as I walked over to the bar. As I was making my way over, I was stopped by a young handsome man. He was tall, athletic, with golden skin and bronze colored hair but what stunted me the most was his incredible eyes. He had bright sea green eyes which made me think of Peeta's stunning ocean blue eyes. _'Peeta'_ I thought to myself for a moment, after tonight I'll be going back home for awhile. I missed him the most out of everyone. He was my protecter, my best friend and the love of my life. We've had minimal contact since I was brought back to the Capitol for entertainment. It was a month after our Game when they came for me and I had no choice but to go, or risk losing all of the people I cared about.

"Calla Lily Everdeen, the Girl on Fire." I stared at the man confused. He gave me a dark smirk which sent chills up my spine. "Does your boyfriend know what you do in your free time?" He asked with spite before walking off, leaving me gaping at his retreating back. What the hell just happen and who was that rude man? I don't have the time to go after the man to question him, when another takes me to one of the back rooms and has his ways with me.

~o~

I wake up the next day feeling sore, dirty, and used. I quickly ran to the bathroom, reaching the toilet just in time to vomit the little food I had in my stomach. Flushing the toilet, I moved to the sink to wash my mouth out. I glanced at the mirror for a moment. My skin had paled slightly from staying in the Capitol and not getting out into the sun much, there were light circles under my eyes from lack of sleep, and I was a little thinner from being unable to keep anything down most of the time. I suffered from terrible nightmares that Peeta helped kept at bay and some days, I was still stuck in the Games. Sighing, I got cleaned up and dressed in a simple lavender dress and black heels, my hair french braided as usual. Effie and Cinna met me at the door and escort me to the train, I kept to myself in the room I was assign too.

~o~

She was coming home. Finally, after two months of being separated from each other Callie was coming back to District Twelve, back to me. I let out a loud sigh while looking out the window from my new house in the Victor's Village. Across from my house was Callie's, Prim and Katniss were outside chatting among themselves. I wonder if they're talking about Callie's return or what she was doing in the Capitol in the first place. They didn't know about the deal Callie had to take to save us all, I clenched my jaw together. Thinking back to that day, our shock filled silence until Haymitch threw a plate and stormed out of the room. Callie's defeated and devastated look while she watched him walk away, tears pouring down her face. I had vowed to myself then and there, as I held her in my arms while she slept that I would protect her at all cost; even if it meant my own death.

"Peeta?" I turned my head to look at my father. His look of concern made me pause for a moment before plastering on a fake smile.

"Yeah, dad?" I asked him. Out of everyone in my family besides me, dad was the only one that worried about Callie which warmed my heart. He entered my art room and came to stand beside me, looking at the canvas I was working on.

"You should start getting ready, the train will get here soon." Letting out another sigh, I began to pack my paints and brushes.

"Thanks." I muttered to him. He patted me on the shoulder then left the room, I stared after him for a moment before picking up my cane and walked to my room to change. I looked at the phone that was on my nightstand. While Callie was at the Capitol, we were allowed to call each other twice a week for only an hour. She would asked me about how everyone was doing, then ask about my paintings. I would ask her how she was doing which she would be vague about, then I'd ask about her stories. Victors would choose a talent or hobby to take up after winning the Games, Callie's was writing and mine, painting but together we would work on our cooking and baking skills. After getting dress, I left the house to catch the car that would take me to the train station. As I was walking past Haymitch's house, I stopped for a moment to stare up at his house. If anybody was feeling the most guilty about Callie, it was Haymitch. He drank himself stupid everyday since she's been gone, on the days he was actually sober you could find him in his room alone in the dark where he could allow the tears to fall. I've only seen this once and by accident, Haymitch had thrown me out of his house and refused to let me in for a few days. Haymitch truly did care for Callie and I, but sometimes it felt like he cared for Callie more which was fine because Haymitch and Callie were so alike at times. I remember the day Haymitch asked me about my feelings towards Callie, if I had only told her I loved her for show and I told him the truth. I truly do love Callie, I have since I was ten or so and that was before we became best friends making me fall more in love with her. But in the beginning, I was in love with the idea of her. The idea of a bubbly girl laughing at all of my jokes and worshipping me. But she's not that. She's more. So much more.

"Peeta?" I snapped my head towards the voice, on alert. I relax instantly when I see it's Prim holding a bouquet of Daisy's, Callie's favorite flowers.

"Hey, Prim." I said to her softly. She handed me the flowers, I look at her confused. "Don't you want to give these to Callie yourself?" She shook her head.

"Calla will want to see you first and will want some time with you alone before she has to see us." Prim said with a sad voice. After the Games, Callie had become distant with Katniss, Gale, and Prim. She had told me it was to protect them but it was hurting them all and was causing rifts between them. Gale was being overprotective of the older Everdeen sister, while the middle Everdeen sister grew jealous of her sister and boyfriend's time together, and the youngest Everdeen sister became hidden in her sister's shadows.

"Prim, she still loves you very much. She's just still stuck in the Games." I told her.

"I know." She said, pausing for a moment. "She started calling us last month."

"See? You just have to be patience and she'll be back to her old self in no time." I lied to her. Callie would never truly be her old self again, she could pretend to be but she'll never go back to the Callie we knew then again neither would I. Prim gave a bright smile of hope which made me feel incredibly guilty before hugging me and walked back to her house. Sighing, I got back to walking to the car and hopped in. When we reached the station the train had just pulled in. I could see Callie looking at the crowd, trying to find her family members that weren't here. I got out of the car and waited for Callie to exit the train. I plastered on my boyish smile, the one that she loved to see when she paused in the doorway. I was fighting to keep my inner turmoil at bay while I watched her. Her olive skin had paled by two shades, her beautiful stormy grey eyes were dull and lackluster with bags under them from lack of sleep, and she had lost some of the weight she gain back after the Games.

"Welcome home, Callie." I said holding my arms out to her. She ran into my arms while minding my leg.

"Peeta." She whispered, looking up at me. I almost broke into tears at how small her voice had sounded, but instead I lent down to kiss her. She took the flowers from my hand and I lead her to the car to take us back to the Victors' Village. She placed her head on my shoulder, while I took her hand into mine. "I missed you so much, Peeta."

"I missed you just as much, Callie." I placed a kiss to her crown. She looks up at me for a moment and I knew she was going to say something I really didn't want to hear.

"How can you do this?" she asked me.

"Callie." I sighed. It was so hard to keep myself in check, there were times where I just wanted to scream and shout but I didn't for Callie's sake.

"How can you stand to be so close to me after everything I've done?" She moved away from me.

"Because you didn't ask for this! Neither of us asked for this!" I finally shouted. She stared at me in shock before turning away, looking out the window. I gritted my teeth together, hands clenching into fist and stared out the other window trying to ignore the rift that was building between us. She didn't understand what it was like to watch her sacrifice her happiness, freedom, and innocences to save us. She didn't understand how guilty Haymitch and I felt because she was still playing the Games while we got peace and freedom. She didn't know how angry I was that she had to take all of the responsibilities onto her shoulders and I couldn't do a single thing to help her out without making things worst for her.

She was my Girl on Fire and she needed her Baker Boy now more then ever.


	2. Chapter 2

After returning home three months ago, I started to go to the woods everyday to get away from everyone. I couldn't stand their need to watch me every second of every day just to make sure I didn't fall apart. Peeta's and mine relationship had started to crumble, piece by piece. Heck, all of my relationships have started to crumble. I was trying so hard to get better, I really was. I didn't want to lose everyone I loved. I heard a crunch come from behind me, spinning around I point my bow and arrow.

"Woah, easy." I slowly lower my bow as Gale talked softly. He's the only one that seems to be fighting to help me stay sane sometimes. "I saw some turkeys on the way here. Crossed right in front of me like I wasn't even there."

"How rude of them." I stated.

"That's what happens when you spend six days a week working in the mines and stupid birds start to think they own these woods." I nodded, then stared as Kat showed up behind him.

"Kat." I said in greeting, she simply gave a nod.

"When's the tour leave?" She asked. I hand her the bow and arrows.

"Couple hours." I told her then head back home. I couldn't hunt anymore without seeing Marvel's death happen over and over again. I scratch Buttercup under the chin as I walk past the water fountain and towards Haymitch's house. I knock on his door. "Haymitch?" I open it and hear bottles clinking. "Haymitch." I walk into the dinning room and found him asleep at the table. "Haymitch, wake up. Its tour day." I shook his shoulder with no results. "Haymitch." I pick up a pitcher and look inside of it to see what it had in it. I backed up a step then moved around to the other side of the table to miss getting attack by him. I tossed the water then jolted back as soon as he jumped from his chair, swinging a knife around yelling.

"What are you doing?" He asked me angrily.

"Cameras are going to be here in an hour." He slammed the knife down on the table and stalked towards me. I grabbed him by the shirt and pushed him back down in his chair. "If you wanted to be babied, you should've asked Peeta." I told him.

"Asked me what?" I heard Peeta ask as he entered Haymitch's house.

"Asked you to wake me without giving me pneumonia." Haymitch whined. "You are a strangely dislikable person." I pulled out two bottles of liquor and placed them on the table, face blank of emotions to show that what he said didn't affect me. "But you do have your virtues." I gave him a small rare smile.

"Would you like some bread, Callie." I looked over to Peeta, my smile fading. It was hard for me to eat these days but from the look on Peeta's face had me accept it anyway. We still loved each other but with all of the walls I was putting up it was getting harder and harder for us to be happy together.

"Thank you, Peeta." I said withdrawn even as I placed a kiss on his cheek.

"Brr. You two have a lot of warming up to do before show time." I rolled my eyes and began to leave.

"Take a bath, Haymitch!" I yelled to them before slamming the door behind me. I walked over to my house and entered.

"Did you have a good walk, dear." Mom said as she and Prim walked out of the kitchen.

"Walk?" I asked, something was off. Mom knew I was out in the woods.

"We have visitors." Prim stated. I look at her then to the two Peacekeepers that stepped out in front of them. I froze for a second in fear before following them to my study. They open the doors for me and then closed them behind me. Snow was standing behind my desk, watching the ending of my Games. He turns to me and sets down his tea cup.

"Such bravery." he places his arms behind his back. "Such spirit." He turns the video towards me. "Such contempt."

"President Snow." I greeted. "What an honor." I lied as I walked towards him.

"My dear, I think we can make this so much simpler if we agree not to lie to each other. What do you think?" I nodded.

"Yes, I think that would save time." I agreed.

"Sit down, please." I did as told. He turned the video off after he sat down. "I have a problem, Miss Everdeen. A problem that began the moment you revealed those poison berries in the arena." I stay silent, watching him. "If that Head Gamemaker, Seneca Crane, had had any brains at all, he would have blown you to bits then and there. But here you are. I expect you can guess where he is."

"Yes." Was the only thing I said.

"After that fiasco, there was nothing left to do but to let you play out your little scenario. And you were very good." I frown at him for a moment. "That whole love-crazed, besotted schoolgirl routine. Impressive. Truly." I had to keep my eyes from widening in shock. He didn't believe I truly loved Peeta, even though the berries was an act of defiance, I did love Peeta. "You convinced the people in the Capitol. Unfortunately, not everyone in the Districts fell for it. I mean, you can't know this, but in several of them, people viewed you little trick with the berries as an act of defiance. Not as an act of love. And if a girl from District Twelve of all places can defy the Capitol and walk away unharmed, what is to prevent them from doing the same? What is to prevent, say, an uprising?" I snapped my eyes at him at the word. An uprising, that's what we needed. "That can lead to revolution. And then, in a fraction of time, the whole system collapses."

"It's a fragile system if it can be brought down by just a few berries." I mocked him.

"Yes, it is, indeed." He nodded. "But not in the way you imagine it."

"How should I imagine it?" I asked him.

"You should imagine thousands upon thousands of your people dead." I continued to look him straight in the eyes, face blank. "This town of yours reduced to ashes. Imagine it gone. Made radioactive. Buried under dirt as if it had never existed, like District Thirteen. You fought very hard in the Games, Miss Everdeen. But they were games. Would you like to be in a real war?"

"No." I lied knowing it was what he wanted to hear but in my head all I could hear was, _'Yes.'_

"Good. Neither would I." I narrowed my eyes slightly as he took one of the biscuits that I made. "Did your mother make these?"

"No, I did." He gave me his snake grin. "Why don't you just kill me now?" He lent back, grin still on his face.

"I don't want to kill you. I want us to be friends. But if not friends, then allies." I kept quiet, "When you and Peeta are on tour, you need to smile. You need to be grateful. But, above all, you need to be madly, prepared-to-end-it-all in love. You think you can manage that?"

"Yes." I answered.

"Yes, what?" His voice raised.

"I'll convince you." A small smirk graced my lips at his few seconds of shock. He gets out a white rose, knowing how much I've started to hate them now.

"For you, Miss Everdeen." He placed it on the desk in front of me. "Do convince me." He stands up then leans down to my ear. "For the sake of your loved ones." My body went rigid at the threat and from the smell of blood on his breath. He leaves our house while I stare out the window. Once I know it safe enough, I jumped out my chair and ran down the hallway to the front door intending to tell Haymitch about what just happened. But just as I'm about to reach the door, mom opens it and Effie and my preparation team walks in.

"Oh. Hello!" I gritted my teeth before plastering on a fake smile. "There she is. My greatest triumph!" She brings me into a hug which I slowly return.

"Our little superstar." I heard Flavius say. Their all cooing, making me actually truly smile. "Sweetie, we've missed you." I hugged Flavius, Venia, and Octavia.

"What a cute little house. So quaint isn't it?" Effie placed her arms around my shoulders. "Of course, you've heard about Cinna?" I looked at her with fear.

"What happen to Cinna?" I asked her.

"Oh, dear, he's a fashion star. You're his muse. Everyone in the Capitol's wearing him. Everyone." She gushed, I slowly relaxed.

"Well, not everyone." I looked over to the door with shining eyes and a bright smile. I rushed over to him and he held me tight.

"Cinna!" I exclaimed with happiness.

"Calla?" I turned around at Prim's call. Prim was holding Buttercup in her arms while Kat was watching everyone with slightly narrow eyes.

"Calla Lily, are these your sisters?" Octavia asked. I nodded. "Oh, sweeties!" She went over to them, I turned back to Cinna.

"Are you okay, Allie?" He asked me.

"I'm fine." He nodded and let it drop.

"Ready to work?" I gave him a smile. "All right. Good." He took me to my room and began to get me ready for the cameras. My hair was down in slight curls, I was wearing jeans, boots, a dark shirt and a fur line coat.

"It's time!" Effie gasps. "She's done, she's lovely. We must feed the monster." She walked me over to the door. "You're excited. You're in love. Big smiles for the camera in three, two, one." She opens the door and I walk out, expecting to see a crew of people.

"There she is! Calla Lily Everdeen!" I stared at the robot thing as I walk down the stairs. "The Girl on Fire and the Capitol's sweetheart!" I could hear Caesar laugh and the audience cheer. Across the street, Peeta's door opens and he walks out. "And there he is! Peeta Mellark! The Baker's Boy." We walk towards each other to the center of the garden. We hug each other before slipping on the ice below us.

"Ooh." Peeta grunted as I landed on him. I let out a genuine giggle which caused him to smile brightly at me. We stared into each others eyes before I leaned down and kissed him.

"Um . . ." Caeser clears his throat. "Ahem." I pull back slightly then turn to the cameras. "Anyone at home?" He chuckles. "Should we come back later?"

"Sorry, Caesar." I let out a fake chuckle and helped Peeta back up.

"Oh, please. It's all right. It's your day." I brush some snow off of Peeta's shoulder as he wrapped an arm around my waist. "It's your day. So how's it going?"

"We're good." Peeta told him which wasn't true.

"That's it? That's all we get? "We're good"?" Caesar repeated. "So taciturn all of a sudden. Peeta, give me some details!"

"Yeah, things are, uh . . . Things are great here in Twelve." I turned to the camera.

"Thanks to the generosity of the Capitol, we've never been closer." I lied through my teeth.

"25 yards, to be exact." I let out another fake chuckle at Peeta's joke.

"Fantastic. We'll be checking in with both of you throughout the Victory Tour." We waved at the cameras. "Thank you so much, Calla Lily Everdeen and Peeta Mellark!" The cameras powered down.

"Wonderful!" I stepped away from Peeta. "Everybody in motion. We are out of here in ten." Effie shouted.

"That was nice acting." I bit my lip as I stared at him, hurt by his words, "Almost thought that kiss was real." I glared at him.

"Screw you, Peeta." I hissed at him and stormed off, leaving a shock Peeta behind.

"Calla Lily!" Effie yelled at me but I ignored her and went straight to the car.


	3. Chapter 3

We were all sitting in the dinning car on our way to District Eleven. I had my knees to my chest as everyone around me ate and drink.

"Fabulous food, fabulous wine, the massages, spa treatments. I told them nothing but the best for my two Victors." I rolled my eyes at Effie's chatter. "It all needs to be, uh . . ."

"Fabulous?" Haymitch supplied for her in a sarcastic tone which made me smirk.

"Exactly." She turned to us. "Now, the schedule is a bit of a bear. Twelve days, twelve Districts. But it's mostly parties, celebrations, adoring fans to greet you at every stop along the way, and then we wrap it up in the Capitol." I shuddered at the word. "All you need to do it give a few speeches, wave to the crowds, and enjoy your time in the spotlight." She sat down, "You've earned it." I popped my head up and looked at her.

"Excuse me?" I asked her.

"Callie." Peeta sighed out which I ignored.

"I said, "Enjoy it, Calla Lily, you've earned it."." I dropped my legs to the floor.

"Yeah, by murdering children." I told her in spite then walked out of the car. Walking down the hallway, stopping at the security room. The door was open a crack and I could see a map of Panem before the door was closed on me. I sighed then walked all the way down to the end of the train to get away from everything. I sit on the couch and stare out the window, lost in thought twirling my mockingjay pin in my fingers. I hear the door open and knew it was probably Haymitch to lecture me.

"I'm not in the mood, Haymitch. I'll apologize to Effie later." When I get no response back, I turn my head to see who it was. Peeta was walking towards me and sat on the other side of the couch. "Oh." I said simply.

"You don't have to apologize to anybody. Including me." I gave him a confused stare. "It's not fair of us to treat you like we've been doing." He took my hand in his but I pulled it away. "Callie."

"Stop treating me like a wounded animal and I can stop acting like one, Peeta." I told him. He sighed and looked away. "Peeta." He turned back to me, eyes bright with unshed tears. I scooted closer to him. "I still love you but you have to understand that things are just going to get harder for us, if you keep acting like I'm going to fall apart at any minute. I need you to help me keep sane by acting normal, like there's nothing wrong with me okay?" He nods.

"Okay." I smile at him and place my hand in his. He smiled back at me and brought my hand to his lips, placing a kiss to it. We both look up when the train goes through a tunnel. I narrow my eyes at the sound of electricity crackling. My eyes widen when I spot my mockingjay pin design on the tunnel wall.

"Did you see that?" I asked Peeta while looking out the back window.

"What?" He questioned. "Whoa." We kneeled on the couch looking at all of the cars and Peacekeepers. We hurriedly made our way back to everyone to get off the train.

"Well, I never." Effie scoffs. There were rows and rows of Peacekeepers with guns, I moved closer to Peeta gripping his hand tight in mine. "This is not very festive." We were shoved into bulky cars with no windows. "The mayor will make some introductory remarks. And then you just have to say a few words. It's customary, of course, to give a brief eulogy to the District's fallen Tributes. For Eleven, that's Thresh and Rue." She holds out some cards to us. "Here are the speeches." Peeta takes them from her.

"I can do the talking if you want." He asked me. I gave him a grateful look.

"Thank you." I whispered.

"Ladies and gentlemen, the Victors of the 74th Hunger Games. Calla Lily Everdeen and Peeta Mellark!" The doors open and Effie pushed us out.

"Smile, smile, smile, smile. Stand up straight. You're on camera." she whispered to us. There's mild applause from the crowd. My smile drops slightly at the picture of Rue with her family standing before it.

"Thank you." Peeta started, "We're honored to be here with you today. And to be with the families of your fallen Tributes." Peeta stops, I look out the corner of my eye to see him staring at Rue's family. He puts the cards down. "Though they fought and lived with honor and dignity until the end, both Thresh and Rue were so young. But our lives aren't just measured in years. They're measured in the lives of people we touch around us." I look at Peeta. "For myself, for Callie, we know that without Rue and without Thresh, we wouldn't be standing here today. So in recognition of that knowing that it in no way can make up for your loss, we'd like to donate one month of our winnings to the families of the Tributes, every year, for the rest of our lives." I bit my lip at Peeta's unintentional rebellious act, feeling hope in my heart even though I was suppose to be stopping these kind of acts I didn't really want too. The crowd gave a loud applause. "Thank you." Peeta looks to me then the microphone. I shake my head, he begins to leave but I stare at Rue and her family. I walk over to the microphone and look over at Thresh's family.

"I just wanted to say that I didn't know Thresh. I only spoke to him once. He could have killed me, but instead he showed me mercy. That's a debt I'll never be able to repay." I look over to Rue's family. "I did know Rue. She wasn't just my ally, she was my friend." My eyes began to water. "I see her in the flowers that grow in the meadow by my house. I hear her in a Mockingjay song. I see her in my sister Prim. She was too young, too gentle. And I couldn't save her." My voice breaks, a tear slides down my cheek. "I'm sorry." An old man does the four note whistle and kisses his three fingers in salute. Soon the whole crowd does it. The Peacekeepers whip out their batons and charge the crowd. The crowd begins gasp, shout, and scream as the Peacekeepers went after the old man. I rushed down the stairs to the crowd to help out. The crowd was trying to get me to stay back. Two Peacekeepers grabbed my arms and began to drag me back to the hall.

"No! No!" I yelled. " Wait! Wait!" The crowd is trying to protect the old man as the Peacekeepers drag him out of the crowd. "No! Leave him alone! Leave him alone!" They drag him up the stairs. "No! Let me go! Please leave him alone!" I screamed. They force him to his knees and bring out a gun "No!" I try to hold onto the doors. Just as their about to shut the doors, they shot him in the back of the head. Everyone jumps back in fright. "NO!" I go after the Peacekeepers before Haymitch grabs me by the waist and pulls me away.

"Come here! Spot it!" I keep shouting at the Peacekeepers. "Stop it! Stop!"

"What did I do?" I cried to him. He tries to shush me.

"Come on." Haymitch said and took us to the attic, dragging me by the arm. "Shut up." He told as I kept crying. "You two have a very simple task."

"I never meant for anyone to get killed." I looked around wildly. "He has to know that."

"What are you talking about? Who has to know what?" Haymitch asked me.

"Snow. He came to see me." I took a deep breath. "He's worried about rebellion in the Districts. He thinks that they don't believe our love story."

"So he wants you to make them believe it?" Haymitch questioned.

"Yes." I went to say something else when Peeta spoke up.

"You know, Callie, you shoulda told me that before I went out there, and tried to give these people the money." He shouted at me.

"I'm sorry. I tried to go tell Haymitch but Effie and them came just as soon as he left!" I yelled back then turned to Haymitch. "He threaten to kill you all if I didn't fix this. I had to protect you all."

"What about them? Who protects them?" Peeta and I went quiet, "Calla Lily, what were you thinking?"

"I was thinking about Rue." I told him, _'And rebelling.'_ "Just help us get through this trip."

"This trip?" Haymitch snaps his fingers. "Girl, wake up. This trip doesn't end when you get back home. You never get off this train." He told us. "You two are mentors now. That means that every year they're gonna drag you out, and broadcast the details of your romance. Every year, your private life becomes theirs. From now on, your job is to be a distraction." He motion to the window. "So people forget what the real problems are."

"So what do we do?" Peeta asked.

"You're gonna smile. You're gonna read the cards that Effie gives you. And you're gonna live happily ever after. Think you can do that?" He asked us. "Huh?" I nodded. He rubbed my cheek. "Yeah? Come here." He brought me into his arms. I clutch onto him.

"I want to fight." I whispered into his ear soft enough that Peeta couldn't hear. Haymitch just held me tighter.

"You're gonna be okay. I promise." He told me. We're put back on the train and go to the next District.

"Callie and I want to share with you our victory. And our gratitude to the Capitol for bringing us together. It was the bond of love, forged in the crucible of the Games that was our greatest prize." We kissed and looked back to the crowd. "For it is love and true love that allows us all to bear our hardships. That mends the heart and banishes loneliness and gives meaning to our lives." Back on the train and to the next's District.

"We also want to share with you the sorrows of your losses. The Tributes of this . . ." I stop when two people do the salute and are dragged off. I look to Haymitch, he nods his head. "The Tributes of this District were brave and noble warriors. They brought honor to their families and pride to their people. We are all of us united, both victors and vanquished, in serving a common purpose." The next District, there was cheering and applause. A girl handed me some flowers. "Thank you."

"One day, I'm gonna volunteer. Just like you did." I gave a grimace and turned away from the girl. Once again back on the train. I try to sleep that night but I wake up, screaming and gasping. My door slides open and Peeta runs in, panting.

"It was just a dream. I'm sorry." I said to him.

"It's okay. I get'em, too." I look over to him. "Goodnight." That makes me panic a little.

"Peeta!" I called, he turns back to me. "Will you stay with me?"

"Yeah." He comes over and crawls into bed with me. I rest my head on his shoulder, my hand on his chest just like I did when we where in that cave. His arms wrapped around me. "Always." I heard him say. They next day we get into cars to go to another District.

"We are all of us united, both victors and vanquished," On the wall we pass are the words 'The Odds are never in our favor'. "in serving a common purpose. The power and glory of the Capitol."

"Put down the cards!" A man yells.

"Tell us what you really think!" A woman shouts. '_I want too, but I can't. I'm sorry.'_ I look back down at the cards. _'I want to help you all.'_

"Panem today. Panem tomorrow. Panem forever." I said to the rioting crowd. Peeta and I raise our hands together while the crowd clamors. We had to stumble back when they tried to get onto the stage. We're taken away by the Peacekeepers back to our train.


	4. Chapter 4

"Snow is watching us. If he wants you to pacify the districts, I promise you, he's not happy." Haymitch told us. "Instead of being in love, you two sound like you're reciting from a drilling manual."

"You try reading the stuff that Effie writes us." Peeta said. I look to him then to Haymitch.

"We can't be ourselves in front of the Districts because of the worries of rebellion, Haymitch." I spoke up.

"Tell that to President Snow when you see him two days from now." I sighed.

"I'm open to suggestions." I turned to Peeta.

"We could get married." I said to him, softly. He snaps his head to me.

"That's not helping." Haymitch stated.

"No, I'm serious. It was going to happen sooner or later and since we're stuck on this train forever. Why not now?" I told them. "It could also make the Capitol citizen see me as off the market now, too."

"It does make a statement. I'll give you that." Haymitch chuckled.

"Yeah, sure. Let's do it." Peeta replied in a depressed voice and walked out of the car. I turn to Haymitch when he clears his throat.

"Go talk to him, sweetheart." I fiddled with my hands, "Cals." I snapped my head up. That was the first time Haymitch had called me by a nickname.

"I don't have anything to say." His eyes harden and lips thinned out.

"Do you have any idea what that boy has been going through since you left and then came back, Cals?" I shook my head. "Of course, you don't because your so caught up in your own problems to see that the boy you love is hurting and it's because of you." My eyes widen in shock. "He's hurting because the girl he loves is hurting and he can't help her because she doesn't want his help. He's angry that he can't protect you like he promised to do. He feels guilty because he failed to protect you from the Capitol." Tears were beginning to run down my face. Haymitch points a finger at me. "So, you need to go after your boy and talk to him. Now." I ran out of the car and to Peeta's room.

~o~

I sat on my bed, leaning my elbows on my knees and placing my head in my hands. I don't understand how Haymitch and Callie could talk about a basically fake marriage so easily like that. I mean, yeah, I do want to marry Callie but not so soon and so young. I lift my head a little when I heard my door slide open, inspecting it to be Haymitch I don't turn around.

"Sometimes I think you care about Callie more then me, Haymitch. You'd do anything for her and I understand that, cause I would too. But agreeing to her marriage idea? That's blow the belt, even for you." I wait for an answer but he doesn't say anything so I go on. "Sometimes, I wonder if she actually does love me and she's not just doing this to keep us alive. She says she loves me but then suddenly she's cold and distant. Now, I know what you're gonna say, "It's because of the Capitol, Peeta. They're messing with her head." but, Haymitch, she was doing that before the Capitol took her." I let out a loud sigh, waiting on him to speak. When nothing comes from him, I frown. "Well, say something." I told him.

"When did Haymitch become our secret keeper?" I snapped my head around to the door in shock. Callie stood there with a sad smile and tears running down her cheeks. She walks over and sits down beside me.

"Callie, I —" She throws her arms around me, crying into my neck.

"I'm so sorry, Peeta!" I gripped her tight. "I had no idea I was hurting you so much!" She pulled away to look at me, I wipe her tears away with my thumbs.

"Callie, it's okay." She shook her head.

"No, it's not okay. We used to be so close and now there's a mile in-between us because of me." She hiccuped. "I want to be like we used to be, Peeta. When we go back home can we just work on us? Forget about everything else and just focus on us?" She asked with hope in her eyes.

"Yeah, we can do that. I would love to do that." I told her with a soft smile. She grinned and pressed a kiss to my lips, making me sigh in happiness.

"Don't get a ring that means something." She said once we pulled away from each other. I frown at her, confused.

"What do you mean?" I asked her.

"The engagement ring. Don't get something that's important to us." She said.

"Why?"

"Cause I want us to pick our rings out by ourselves because we want to, not because we're force too." I nodded in agreement.

"Okay." I messed with her loose hair before she turned around for me to braid it. "That obvious?"

"Yes, but I missed you braiding my hair." She whispered. I leaned over to press a kiss to her cheek which she leaned into. Truthfully, I was happy she still allow me to touch her after everything she's been through. "Actually, I missed you in general. I never knew how lonely it was in woods until we stopped hanging out together."

"Well, that's going to be the first thing we fix then." I smiled, "I'm going to be with you every second of the day that you're going to wish you never told me that." She let out a bout of giggles.

"Uh-oh, I think I already do." I chuckled. We sat in a comfortable silence as I braid her hair with her humming a tune I didn't know.

"Do you think we convinced Snow?" I asked her suddenly. She tensed up at his name and I silently cursed to myself.

"No." She whispered. I sighed and leaned my forehead on her shoulder, there was nothing else we could do but get married now.

~o~

"The Presidential Palace." Effie all but squealed. I looked at Peeta before making a face at Effie's dress which Peeta silently snickered at. "The party of the year. Eyes bright. Chins up. Smiles on. I'm talking to you, Calla Lily." I rolled my eyes at her pointed finger. "Now, there'll be photographers. Interviews. Everyone will be here to celebrate you. My Victors." She lets out a sigh. "Breathe it all in, children." She turns around to us. "This is all for you."

"It's cozy." Peeta sassed causing me to smirk.

"Attitude." Effie snapped. She let's out a breath. "Come, come." She beings to walk us through a cheering crowd. "Come along." Peeta and I put on fake smiles, "Excuse us, excuse us." Capitol men began to touch my dress causing me to falter for a moment. Effie turned back to us. "Come, come." Everyone here was dressed so weirdly and then there was this guy spitting fire which was amazing. "Hold hands." Effie ordered us. When we got into the house, Peeta took my arm and wrapped it around his. Effie began to show us around Snow's mansion. "And the library. All mahogany."

"What is with her and mahogany?" I asked Peeta softly so Effie wouldn't hear me.

"No idea." He whispered in return.

"Hello, hello!" She greeted some people. "Not yet, not yet. No, no, no." She giggled. "Ooh, curtains!" She whacks someone's hair. "Everybody who's anybody is here." She told us. "And they all want to meet you." Finally, we reached the backyard. "Flavius! Octavia!" Regal music starts playing as we look around at the party. Peeta got himself a plate and filled it up, making sure I ate something off of it. Flavius and Octavia would tell him to try this or that while I looked around for Snow.

"Try one of these. They are divine." Octavia told us as she held out a plate of colorful cookies.

"No, I can't eat another thing." Peeta politely refused. Flavius handed him a shimmering pink liquid.

"Here." Peeta takes it.

"What's this?" He asked.

"It's for when you're full." We look at them confused.

"It makes you sick. So you can go on eating." Octavia said.

"How else could you taste everything?" Flavius asked. We simply stared at them with a small fake smiles. Peeta hands Flavius our plate and the drink.

"I think it's time for a dance." He told them. "Callie?" He gestures to the dance floor, we walked over there and get into a waltz position. "People are starving in Twelve." I gave Peeta a sad smile. "Here, they're just throwing it up to stuff more in."

"Calla Lily? Peeta." Effie called to us with a plump man behind her. "This is Plutarch Heavensbee. Head Gamemaker. Successor to Seneca Crane." I give him a light glare.

"That's a tough act to follow." Peeta said sarcastically. I felt my lips twitch up into a smile.

"Peeta!" Effie scolded. She and Plutarch laugh.

"May I?" He points to me and Peeta nods.

"Please." He says before walking away. We begin to dance and I glared at him the whole time.

"So how do you like the party?" He asked me.

"It's disgusting." I all but hissed out to him. He chuckled.

"Still, if you abandon your moral judgement, it can be fun." I raised an eyebrow.

"So are you having fun?" I asked.

"I'm the Head Gamemaker. Fun is my job." I rolled my eyes.

"Careful now, or you'll end up like Seneca Crane." I told him. He smirked at me.

"Being Head Gamemaker has never been the most secure job in the world."

"Then why are you here?" I asked him.

"Same reason as you. I volunteered." I went back to glaring at him.

"Why?"

"Ambition." We stopped dancing. "The chance to make the Games mean something."

"They mean nothing but to scare us." I hissed out to him, enraged.

"Well, maybe it was you who inspired me to come back." I looked at him in shock. The National anthem starts to play. "Ah! The Presidential welcome. I'm sure we'll meet again." I froze at the remark.

"Calla Lily, come. The President awaits." Effie said while she dragged Peeta over to me. We walk over to the front of the crowd.

"Do you think we convinced him?" Peeta asked me again.

"There's nothing else we can do." I told him. The crowd begins to cheer as Snow comes out.

"Tonight, on this, the last day of their tour, I want to welcome our two Victors. Two young people who embody our ideals of strength and valor. And I, personally, want to congratulate them on the announcement of their engagement." The crowd cheers. "Your love has inspired us. And I know it will go on inspiring us every day for as long as you may live." I gripped tightly onto Peeta's arm. We didn't convince him. Peeta and I look towards each other hopeless on what to do now. We're taken back to the train. Peeta and I were in bed but I couldn't fall asleep. I quietly get out of bed and walk into the dinning car to find something to eat and drink. Picking up a roll and grabbing a glass of blue liquid, I'm about to head back to the room we're sharing now but the sound of yelling catches my attention. I tiptoe down a hallway and stop at the security room. People in different Districts on different monitors, rebelling and holding up signs of my Mockingjay pin. I take a few step backs then rush off back to a sleeping Peeta.


	5. Chapter 5

As soon as we pulled into District Twelve, I raced off the train, ignoring the calls of my name and towards the mines where Gale would be. I push past the other miners until I found Gale at the end of the group.

"When did you . . .?" I hugged him then started to tug him away from the mines. "Cal?"

"I need to talk to you, now." I whispered to him, hurriedly. We ran to the woods, checking over our shoulders to make sure no one saw us.

"Cal, what's going on?" Gale asked me. I looked around before turning to him.

"I need you to promise me that you'll protect our families, if anything bad happens." Gale looked at me confused.

"Of course, Cal." I shake my head.

"Peeta's too, Gale. You have to get them out of here if things go south." He took me by the shoulders.

"Cal, what's going on? What did you see?" He questioned me.

"Snow isn't happy with me, Gale. He threaten to kill everyone I loved." I told him with a sad smile. "There are Districts rebelling and I was suppose to stop them, but I didn't." He looked me in shock then a bit of pride.

"It's happening. It's finally happening." He said. I look at him confused before dropping to the ground as vehicles approach. We watch them, we shared a look then follow after them. A gunshot echoes, we stopped for a moment before running to the fence. We ran to the hob coming to a stop at the sight of the fire. I ran over Ripper, who was covering her bleeding eye.

"Ripper!" I called to her.

"My eye!" She cried.

"I'm going to get you out of here." I told her and walked her away from the chaos. I got a cloth and ran water over it from the pump. "Here." I place it on her eye. I turned when I heard groans in the distance and people shouting. "Hold that on there." I turned again when the groans became clearer. They sounded like they're coming from Gale. I run to the town square. His groans getting louder and louder as I got closer. I could hear the sound of a whip hitting him. I pushed through the crowd that was watching as the whipping and groaning continues. "No!" I ran to the Peacekeeper whipping Gale. "Stop!" I yelled at him, placing myself between him and Gale. The man punches me in the face, causing me to fall to the ground. I slowly turn around in pain to get back up. I hid my face to miss the whip.

"Cal!" I whimper in pain as I look to Gale. "It's okay. Just go. It's okay." He moaned out. I stare at his back in horror before standing up between him and the Peacekeeper again. The man scoffs.

"Move." I stay where I am. He lifts the whip. "You want another?"

"Do it." I told him. He takes out his gun and points it at me, I stare at it with a blank face even though on the inside I'm terrified.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" We both turn as Haymitch came running in.

"Get out of my way!" The man yelled.

"No, you don't want to shoot her." Haymitch told him.

"How about I shoot both of you?" He asked.

"Look, Commander, you're new here. Trust me, I'm trying to help you. I'm Haymitch." He points to me. "You recognize her? Calla Lily Everdeen. Darling of the Capitol." I'm breathing heavily as I watch on.

"She interfered with a Peacekeeper." The man said as he lowered his gun.

"I never said she was smart." Haymitch chuckles. I glared at his back. "Look, you already got a couple of lashes in, right?"

"That's not good enough. She's an agitator." He lifts the gun again. Then turns it to the right where Peeta came running in.

"Peeta!" I yelled.

"Easy, easy." He told the Peacekeeper before Haymitch pulled him back and towards me.

"Look. You're sure Snow wants three dead Victors here? Because that's what we're looking at." Haymitch said. "It's bad enough that you marked up her face on the eve of the big wedding. Let it go. And we will, too."

"All right." He put the gun down. "Okay." He got into Haymitch's space. "But next time, it's the firing squad."

"Excellent idea." Haymitch agreed.

"I don't care who she is. Clear the square!" He yells right into Haymitch's face. "You're all under curfew. Anyone out after dark will be shot on sight! Get'em outta here." We quickly got to work of getting Gale out of the thing and to my house.

"It's Gale." Peeta called to my mom and sisters.

"Get him here!" They begin to clear the the table off and get him onto the table. Kat comes running down the stairs.

"Gale!" She cried. I move over to her and drag her away. "No! Let go!" She yells at me before hitting me in the face. Everyone freezes and watches us for a moment.

"Kat, go to the living room." She makes to hit me again. I grab ahold of her wrist tight, "Now, Katniss!" I yelled at her. I fling her hand away and went to the kitchen to help them with Gale. They move him off the board and onto the table. He let's out a heart wrenching sob.

"Okay. Thanks." Peeta tells the men helping us.

"New head Peacekeeper." Haymitch tells them. "Not entirely peaceful." Prim reaches for my face but I brush her off.

"I'm fine." I told her, "Make a snow coat. Peeta, get the snow." I tell Peeta. Peeta left the room and went outside to get the snow.

"I'll grind the herbs." Prim said. Mom begins to pour alcohol on to Gale's back causing him to groan loudly.

"Shit." I muttered, pausing to take the alcohol away from Haymitch and went to the cabinet. "Morphling." I got the bottle out and filled the syringe. I went back over to Gale and stuck the needle into his neck, pushing the pain killer into him. "That's better." I whispered after Gale quieted, I went to the living room to get Kat. She looked up at me with tearful eyes. I nodded my head for her to go.

"Thank you." She whispered to me as she passed. I walk over to the couch and plop down, my head in my hands. I lifted my head when I felt the couch dip down beside me. Peeta was looking at me with a frustrated look.

"Callie, what were you thinking?" He asked me. I stared at him, incredulous.

"I was thinking about how my friend was being whipped, Peeta." I told him. He scoffs and looks away. "What's that suppose to mean?" I glared at him

"If he's such a friend, why did you run to him first thing?" He raised an eyebrow at me.

"I needed to talk to him about something important." I bite out.

"Yeah, sure." He stood up from the couch to walk off. I sprung from the couch and turned him around to face me. We ignored our onlookers as we glared at each other.

"I don't know what kind of rose tinted glasses you're seeing out of, Peeta but the Districts are in chaos and they're looking towards me to help them." I pointed to our friends and families. "I was asking Gale to protect our families if things went south. To get them out of here if Snow came after them because of me." Peeta eyes widen in shock.

"Callie." I shook my head for him to stop.

"I know our relationship has been on the rocks lately, Peeta. But I would never ever cheat on you and to know that you think I would do that, hurts me." I felt my eyes water but I wouldn't let them fall and give them that satisfaction. "I'm going to my room, now. I'll check on Gale later." I whispered and left the room. I went to the bathroom and stood under the water, clothes and all. Just thinking on how wrong my life went so quickly. I let out a scream before sliding down the wall and sat on the shower floor, the tears I held back flowing down my cheeks with the rain of the shower. The door to my bathroom slammed open, Peeta and Haymitch rushing into the room. I watched them with dazed eyes, their lips moving but I don't hear a single thing their saying. Peeta turned the water off while Haymitch dragged me off the floor and into my room. Mom rushed into my room, shooing the boys out and got me into dry clothes then tuck me into bed. She left and shut the door behind her. I stared at the ceiling for a while before turning onto my side to stare out the window, tears still rolling down my cheeks.

"**_All the ways you think you know me_**

**_All the limits that you figured out, limits that you figured out_**

**_Had to learn to keep it all below me_**

**_Just to keep from being thrown around, just to keep from being thrown around._**" I sang quietly to myself. I stay like that for the rest of the night until the sunrises. I get out of bed and head downstairs to the kitchen to check on Gale. I found Kat sitting in one of the chairs asleep.

"Kat." I whispered to her, lightly shaking her shoulder. She looked at me sleepily. "I'll look after him, now. Why don't you go up to bed?" She nodded and shuffled off to her room. I sat down in her chair and watched Gale for a moment before glancing back over my shoulder when the backdoor opened.

"Hey." Peeta said softly.

"Hi." I returned and went back to looking at Gale. I lifted up the blanket on his back, the snow had melted away. "He needs more snow."

"I can look after him." Peeta said. I smiled at him, gratefully.

"Thank you." I got up and put my boots on. Taking a bowel, I went outside and began to pile snow into it. I looked up when Prim knelt beside me. "Hey."

"How's your eye?" She asked me.

"It's not my eye that's bothering me." I told her. "How can we live like this? How could anyone live like this?" I finally started to say what I've been thinking about.

"It's not living, but . . ." I looked up from the snow to look at Prim. "Since the last Games, something is different. I can see it."

"What can you see?" I asked her, wondering if she's seeing the same thing I was, which was hope.

"Hope." I gave her a small smile.

"You understand that whatever I do comes back to you three. I don't want you to get hurt." She looks at me with a mature look, one that she didn't have before.

"You don't have to protect us. We're with you." I pull her into a hug. She's matured so much and because of me.

"I love you." I told her.

"I love you, too." She repeated back to me.


	6. Chapter 6

A few days later, we were getting ready for the announcement of the 75th Hunger Game or Quarter Quell. Quarter Quells were different from the normal Hunger Games. They happen every twenty-five years and the rules change. Mom, Kat, and Prim were all sitting on the couch while I sat on the arm rest at the end, watching the screen as Snow appeared.

"Ladies and gentlemen, this is the 75th year of The Hunger Games. And it was written in the charter of The Games that every twenty-five years, there would be a Quarter Quell to keep fresh for each new generation the memory of those who died in the uprising against The Capitol. Each Quarter Quell is distinguished by Games of a special significance. And now on this the 75th anniversary of our defeat of the rebellion, we celebrate the 3rd Quarter Quell." The crowd cheers in the background. " As a reminder that even the strongest cannot overcome the power of The Capitol." I lent forward at the sentence. "On this, the 3rd Quarter Quell Games, the male and female Tributes are to be reaped from the existing pool of Victors in each District." I slowly removed myself from the couch.

"No!" My mother cried. Kat just stared at the screen, frozen.

"Who does he mean?" Prim asked me.

"Victors shall present themselves on Reaping Day regardless of age . . ." I began to walk out of the living room.

"Calla . . ." I ran, my mother's sobbing following me out the door. Just ran, all the way into the woods where no one could find me. I could hardly breathe as I ran, pushing branches out of my way. I collided with a small tree and sank down to the freezing ground, panting.

"No." I said softly to myself as I began to shake with silent sobs. I sat there for nearly an hour before I got up and ran back to the Village. I needed to talk to Haymitch about the Games. I knew no matter what we did, Peeta would be with me in the Games. The Capitol would make sure of it. But Peeta had to be the one who comes home this time, I'd make sure of it. I ran up the steps and open Haymitch's door. Bottles clinking as I walked in. Walking to the living room, I stop a foot away from Haymitch.

"Ah. There she is." He said. I moved to sit in the chair beside him. "Finally did the math, huh?" He asked me. "And you've come to, what? Ask me to . . . Die?" I reached my hand out for the bottle.

"Here to drink." I told him and took the bottle from him.

"Oh." I took a big sip. "Finally, something I can help you with." I looked at him for a minute.

"I know that Peeta was probably here before me." Haymitch nodded. "And I know I haven't been the best Girlfriend lately, either." Another nod. "But I know, Peeta will be with me in the Games. So what I want from you Haymitch is to make sure that Peeta lives." He stares at me. "He has to come home."

"Alright." Haymitch said. I sent him a small smile.

"Thank you, Haymitch." I told him. I got up and went back home to my family. Kat and Prim meet me at the door with red puffy eyes, holding onto me as they cried softly. I walked to mom's room and slid into bed with her, letting her hold me for the first time in six years as I cried myself to sleep. The morning of the reaping, my mother helped me get ready in a black jumpsuit, my black boots, and french braided my hair. The Peacekeepers escorted Haymitch, Peeta, and I to the Hall. I glanced at my family standing in the front of the crowd as we walked up the stage.

"Welcome. Welcome." Effie said into the microphone. Her monarch butterfly outfit a bit to bright for this occasion. "As we celebrate the 75th anniversary and 3rd Quarter Quell of The Hunger Games. As always, ladies first." She walked over to my side, spearing me a glance as she picked up the only slip of paper from the bowl and walked back to the microphone. "The female Tribute from District Twelve, Calla Lily Everdeen." A lone tear fell from my eye. I look towards Effie while the tear rolled down my face and walked over to her. "Wonderful." She said, I knew she was still trying to be cheerful when all she wanted was to cry. She clears her throat. "And now for the men." She walks over to their bowl and takes one of the slips and comes back to the microphone. "The make Tribute from District Twelve." She lets out a sigh of regret. "Haymitch Abernathy." I jerked my head up and towards her, in horror.

"I volunteer as Tribute." I heard Peeta say. Haymitch grabs his arm.

"I can't let you do that." Peeta looked at him.

"You can't stop me." He told him

"Peeta."

"Let go." he walked over to Effie and me.

"Very well." Effie said in a breathless tone. "The Tributes from District Twelve. Calla Lily Everdeen and Peeta Mellark. Well, all that remains is . . ." She trailed off as my sisters and mom do the three finger salute with the rest of the District following. Peeta and I raised our three fingers into the air. "Oh, no. But, but, but . . ." A Peacekeeper begins to pull me away from the stage and into the Hall. I begin to fight back.

"Calla!" I heard Prim and Kat yell.

"I get to say goodbye." I told the Peacekeeper.

"Calla!" They called again.

"New plan. Straight to the train." He told me.

"No, I have to say goodbye." I argue and try to get away from him.

"Calla!"

"No." I halfway sob as we went into a hallway. "Goodbye!" I screamed out to them, hoping they could hear me. The first thing I did when I was put on the train was to throw all of the vases with white roses onto the ground. I jumped on them to smash them into oblivion. I started to scream and sob loudly as someone picked me up by the waist and move me away from the mess. I hit and punch the person holding me to their chest. "I hate him." I cried.

"Shush." They started to pet my hair.

"I didn't get to say goodbye." I sobbed, my hands taking clumps of the person shirt in my fist.

"I know, sweetheart. I know." When I finally calm down enough, Haymitch moves me over to the chairs and sits me down in one closer to the window. I stare out the window for a bit before look over to him when he sat down across from me with a drink in hand.

"Where's Effie and Peeta?" I asked in a congested voice.

"Effie went to her room to change and Peeta is going through the whole train to get rid of the roses after seeing your reaction to them." I nodded and looked back out the window. We both look up when the door opens and Peeta walks in.

"There all gone." He told me as he sat down beside me, taking my hand in his. I simply nodded again and went back to staring out the window again.

"All right." Effie clears her throat. "Before we begin, I've had a thought."

"You don't say?" Haymitch snarked.

"Calla Lily has her gold Mockingjay pin. I have my hair. I'm going to get you two boys something gold." Haymitch looked at Peeta then back at her.

"Uh . . . Why is that?"

"A token." She exclaimed. "Show them we are a team. And they can't just . . ." I look up at her and take her hand in mine.

"Thank you." I told her. And I meant it, for everything she's done for us. She smiles down at me. Haymitch takes her other hand.

"All right. Now," She exhales. "Everything will be different, because it's a Quarter Quell. The Capitol has spared no expense. A new training center. New tributes living quarters. And of course, a very special arena." We arrived at the Capitol and are taken to the new center. We take the elevator up to the twelfth floor. "But this year you'll be facing other Victors. Capitol favorites. Smart, cunning, skilled. And they all know one another. You two are the outsiders." Effie left us into Haymitch's care as we went over the reaping.

"I want you guys to forget everything you think you know about the Games. Last year was child's play." Haymitch told as we ate. "This year, you're dealing with all experienced killers."

"All right. What does that mean for us?" Peeta asked him.

"That means you're gonna have to have some allies." He said as he walked over to us.

"Okay. I think that if . . ." Haymitch interrupts him.

"Whoop. You're not the problem." He points a finger over my head. I frowned at the table.

"No." I told him, I wasn't going to have anymore allies after Rue.

"Look, you're starting at a disadvantage." He told me as he sat down. "Most of these people have been friends for years."  
"Which puts us higher on the kill list." I snapped.

"Do it your own way, but I know these people. You go it alone, their first move is gonna be to hunt yo down. Both of you." I sighed and looked over to him.

"Callie, come on." Peeta said.

"How could any of us even trust each other?" I asked.

"It's not about trust. It's about staying alive." He flicks the TV on. "Cashmere and Gloss." A brunette man and blonde woman show up on the screen. " Brother and sister. District One. They won back-to-back Games. Capitol favorites."

"I think I've seen the woman before while I was here for that two month stay." I said.

"Most likely, Cals." Haymitch agreed. "Lots of sponsors. They will be lethal." He flicks it again. "And the other half of the Career Pack, Brutus and Enobaria." I raised an eyebrow at her teeth.

"What's with her teeth?" I asked.

"She had them filed into fangs so she could rip people's throats out." I grimaced.

"She's committed. I'll give her that." Peeta said.

"Wiress and Beetee. Not fighters, but brilliant. And weird. Real tech-savvy. He won his Games by electrocuting six Tributes at once." I stare at the two middle age couple on the screen with interest. "The Morphlings. Masters of camouflage. Basically, won their Games by hiding until everyone else was dead. Self-medicating ever since. Which I applaud. Not a threat." Then a bronze hair, handsome man came onto the screen. I sat up straight at the sight of him, it was the rude guy from the club. "Finnick Odair. He won his Games at fourteen. Youngest ever. Extremely humble."

"You're kidding." I snorted.

"Yes, I'm kidding. He's a peacock. A total preener. But he's the Capitol darling. The love him here. Charming, smart, and very skilled at combat. Especially in the water."

"What about weaknesses?" Peeta asked. I stared at the boy smirking and smiling at the crowd, who was in the same position as me but had the nerve to call me out on it.

"One. Mags." Haymitch points to a old woman on screen. "She volunteered for Annie. Mags was his mentor and basically raised him. If he's trying to protect her in any way, it exposes him."

"Like us." I said.

"Yeah, like you guys." Odair hugs Mags, kissing her on the head and whispered something to her.


	7. Chapter 7

The next day, Cinna and my prep team come to get me ready for the Tribute parade. This year, my outfit was a black dress that was mid thigh length in the front and floor length in the back. My hair was left down in curls with a black crown.

"Calla Lily!" I looked up at the sound of yelling when I left the elevator, the crowd waving down at me. I walked over to our chariot, petting the horse.

"How'd we get here?" I asked him even though I knew he wouldn't answer.

"Calla Lily." I turned my head. Finnick Odair was walking my way with a smirk on his face. I narrowed my eyes at him.

"Odair." I responded in kind.

"Do you want a sugar cube?" He asked me. I furrow my brow before nodding. I held out my hand and he dropped one into my palm. "It's supposed to be for the horses, but I mean, who cares about them, right?" I pop the sugar cube into my mouth. "They got years to eat sugar, whereas you and I? Well, if we see something sweet, we better grab it."  
"Thanks." I look at his outfit. "I would love to borrow that outfit someday."

"You look pretty terrifying in that getup." He told me. "What happened to the pretty little girl dresses?"

"Outgrew them." I sassed.

"You certainly did." He grinned at me. "Shame about the Quell thing. Now, you could've made out like a bandit in the Capitol. Jewels, money, anything you wanted."

"The thing I wanted was freedom from Snow offers." I told him, his smile slips slightly. "What did you do with all your wealth, anyway?" I asked.

"I haven't dealt in anything as common as money in years." I look at him curious.

"Then how do people pay for your company?" I asked. He stepped towards me.

"Secrets." I backed up a bit. "What about you, Girl on Fire? Any secrets worth my time?"

"I'm an open book." I lied.

"Unfortunately, I think that's true." I glance over his shoulder. Peeta and Cinna were walking our way. "I'm sorry you had to cancel your wedding. I know how devastating that must be for you." He said not sounding a bit sorry. "Have a good day." He ate another sugar cube, snickering and walked away. "Peeta." He greeted him as they walked passed each other.

"Finnick." Peeta said, watching him before turning to me. "What'd he want?"

"To know my secrets." I chuckled.

"Hmm." Peeta smiled. "He'll have to get in line." I smiled a bit. The fact that he could tease about it now was amazing.

"Tributes, mount up. Tributes, mount up." We moved to get into the chariot.

"No waving and smiling, this time." Cinna told us. "I want you to look straight ahead as if the audience and this whole event are beneath you." I smirked.

"Which it is." I said. Cinna handed me a clicker.

"Press this when you're ready. Good luck." I take it and Peeta helps me into the chariot. The chariot begins to take us out to the crowd. Peeta and I glanced at each other before I placed my hand in his. It was like deja vu as we passed the drummers and the crowd. Snow and I connected glances, I raised my chin up in defiance and clicked the button. Our clothes began to burn with fire.

"Calla Lily! Calla Lily! Calla Lily!" The audience began to chant. Peeta and I just stared at Snow as we passed him, his shock written across his face.

"Nice. Way to make friends out there, you two." I rolled my eyes at Haymitch as we hopped down from the chariot. District Eleven Tributes behind him.

"We learned from the best." I retorted.

"I wanna introduce you to some special friends of mine." He motions to the woman. "This is Seeder." Then to the man. "And Chaff." Peeta and I nodded in greeting to them. The man moved froward and kissed me. "From District Eleven." I jolted back in shock. Both Haymitch and Chaff chuckled. "He's very friendly." I turned to Haymitch with a 'Really?' look. "Don't invite him over. He'll drink up your liquor. I'll see you guys soon." Haymitch made way to the elevator. "Let's get some of that makeup off you and talk about these other Tributes."

"These Tributes are insane." I said to him, looking back at Eleven.

"No, not all of 'em. He's a good guy." I just give him another look as we get into the elevator. "Carry on." Haymitch sassed to the Peacekeepers. A woman in a green and black outfit follows us into the elevator.

"You guys look amazing." She said.

"Thank you." I told her.

"My stylist is such an idiot." She turned around and began to undo her hair. "District Seven, lumber. Trees." She takes her bracelets off. "I'd love to put my ax in her face." I shot a look to Haymitch which he just smirks at. "So what do you think? Now that whole world wants to sleep with you?" I flinched back for a moment before turning a glare at her back.

"I don't think that's —" She turns back to me.

"I wasn't talking to you." She sniped. I frown and my glare intensify. She turns to Peeta. "Will you unzip?" She asked him.

"Yeah." He said and unzips her clothes. I watched for a moment in jealous before turning a venomous glare towards Peeta. He just gives me an innocent look before going back to helping Seven. She lets out a sigh and turns back to Peeta. Peeta gives her a smile while she begins to undress herself in front of him. Both Peeta and I look away while Haymitch watches. The doors open on her floor.

"Thanks. Let's do it again sometime." She said as she walked out.

"Thank you." I crossed my arms and glared at the floor. "Johanna Mason, District Seven."

"I don't like her." I told Haymitch, glancing up at him.

"Sweetheart," He started.

"No." I said and walked out of the elevator once it reached our floor. I went straight to my room, changing into pajamas and washing the makeup off. I crawled into bed, falling asleep before my head hits the pillow.

~o~

I jolt awake when someone bangs on my door.

"Rise and shine, sweetheart!" I heard Haymitch yell from out in the hallway. I groan as I roll over onto my back and glare up at the ceiling then the door, _'Smart man.'_ I hop out of bed and get dress in my training outfit, french braid my hair and head to breakfast.

"Ah! Calla Lily, we're having some of your favorites for breakfast." Effie said as I walked into the dinning room. A Avox placed a plate in front of me once I was seated.

"Thank you." I whispered to her and picking up my fork. I mostly picked at my food then eating, listening to Effie prattle on about this and that. Soon we were rushed off to the training center.

"Remember, Callie, today's about making allies." Peeta told me. Just as we walked in a man started retching. I wrinkled my nose at the sight.

"I'm not overwhelmed by our choices." I said as I looked around.

"I guess we just try to figure out who we trust least and work our way backwards from there." We both look over when a man started grunting. One was throwing knifes together. On the other side of the room, Johanna was swing and slicing her ax around, smirking at me as I passed. Brutus threw a spear that hit both of the holograms at once. Enobaria snarls at me as I stopped to watch her. I turn my head slightly and spot Beetee and Wiress at the fire station. They were obviously trying to build a fire but not having any success yet.

"Friction generates heat." I heard Beetee say as I walked over to them. "Heat generates fire. In theory."

"You should move your hands downwards." I spoke up, they both glance up at me. I do the motion to show them. "And faster, too." I crouch down beside them. He did so and a spark of fire started.

"A little brute force . . ." Wiress started.

"Is always helpful." Beetee finished. I smiled a bit at them. He turns to me. "Thank you." I nod my head.

"By the corner of the table." Beetee and I glance over to were Wiress was staring.

"Plutarch?" I asked her.

"No. Next to him." I look at her confused. There was no one else near him and the table.

"Force field." I hear Beetee say.

"How do you know?" I look back over to the table.

"The shimmering. Top left hand side." I look around for it, still not seeing it. "Look." He moved my head just a bit. "There. You see it?"  
"Looks like glass." I whispered.

"To separate us and them." Wiress said.

"My fault, I guess." I look back to them.

"Uh-huh . . . Electromagnetic." Beetee placed his glasses back down.

"How can you tell?" They both start laughing. "Is it obvious?" I asked confused. They continue to chuckle.

"They might as well have a sign." She told me with a smile.

"Look around you. All the holograms, the lights, every now and then they flicker. Why?" Beetee asked me.

"Because the force field is taking up too much energy." I said to him.

"There's always a flaw in the system." He smirked. I nodded and look back to the table, staring at the force field for a few more moments then went to the camouflage station. I took out a small canvas and just painted for the rest of the training day. When the trainers tell us to leave, I pack up the paint and take the wet painting with me. As soon as I got off the elevator with Peeta a jittery Effie met us at the door.

"Something wrong, Effie?" I asked her concern. She looked everywhere but at me, Peeta and I shared a look. "Effie?" I placed my painting on a table beside us.

"Snow sent you an invitation." She muttered and handed me the envelope. I took the envelope from her and read the letter. After I finished reading it, I glanced up at everyone.

"But, my training . . ." I trailed off. He wanted me to entertain some peers of his until early morning. Haymitch walked forward, placing an arm around my shoulders.

"Let's go get you ready, sweetheart." Haymitch walked me to my room and left me in Cinna's care.

~o~

I stood in my spot by the elevator for a few moments after Callie left with Haymitch. I glanced over to the canvas Callie had set down and gently picked it up. My eyes widen a fraction when I saw all of us smiling back at me. Effie came to look over my shoulder to see the painting.

"It's beautiful." She gasped and it was. We all looked so happy, like the Hunger Games didn't exist but Callie wasn't in the picture.

"Yeah." I whispered and walked off to my room, painting in hand. I went over to my easel and put the painting on it for it to dry safely. I sat down on my bed and stared at the picture, skipping dinner. This painting told me everything Callie had going through her mind. Her one main thought was making sure her loved ones were safe and happy. I jolted when the door slide open, I look over to see Callie standing in the door. I frowned in confusion and looked back at the clock. It was four in the morning. Callie walked over and crawled into my bed, I smiled softly at her tense movement and laid down beside her. "Your so beautiful." I whispered to her while brushing some of her butter blonde hair behind her ear. Her eyes began to water and I brought her into my arms, letting her cry her heart out until we both fell into a fitful sleep.

~o~

My head was pounding when I walked into the training area that morning. The lights were too bright and the tributes were too loud.

"Late night, Calla Lily?" I groaned and looked over at Odair leaning against a rack of various weapons.

"Look, I'm not in the mood pretty boy. Go stab some manikins or something." I quipped, rubbing my temples. He scoffed and pulled a trident off the rack.

"At least I had a good morning face." He said under his breath. I shot my head up and glared.

"Oh, of course the great Finnick Odair would because you're the picture of Capitol perfect!" I snapped. "You don't know anything about me so quit pretending that you do!" My voice cracked. I saw something flash behind his sea green eyes but stormed away before I could actually register what it was. I looked around at all of the other Tributes again, trying to pick out more allies to go with Beetee and Wiress. The Career pack was out of the question, as well as, Mason and Odair which left me with Eleven, Ten, Five, Six, Eight, Nine, Mags and the male from Seven. I eliminated all of them but Mags after watching each of them for a few minutes. I walked over to the tool making station where Mags was. I looked at the fishhook she was making, it was a work of art.

"It's beautiful." I said to her. She looked up at me. "I saw you volunteer for that young girl. It was really brave." She shakes her head then points at me. I think she was trying to tell me I was the brave one.

"Thank you." I bit my lip for a moment, then looked at the hook. "Could you teach me how to make that? I could teach you how to hunt in exchange?" She smiled and nodded, I returned her smile.

"Yes, yes." She said and began to teach me how to make a fishhook. After awhile, I took her to the archery station. I placed a quiver of arrows on my back and handed one to her in question.

"Do you want to try with me?" I asked her. She shook her head and pointed at me. Which I think it meant she wanted to see me do it by myself. "Okay." I chuckled. "I'll go first." I put the extra quiver back on the rack and took one of the bows. I walked into the shooting chamber and punch in the training sequence I wanted. I notched my arrow and waited for the hologram to show. I turned to my right, shooting the arrow through the middle of the hologram. Then another up into the left hand corner. I dodged a spear and fired off another arrow and then another. I followed a running hologram until I had a clear shot, I shot another arrow after at a ground one. I ducked and rolled to miss an ax, releasing an arrow. I jumped up and shot off two arrows into a double sword hologram before turning around to shoot an arrow into a hologram with a trident that jumped off the ledge. I lowered my bow when the holograms disappeared and the lights came back on. I looked down at the matt I was standing on, breathing heavily. All of the holograms had weapons that my fellow Tributes favored. I look up when I hear clapping. Everyone turned to look at Wiress weirdly as she clapped for me.


	8. Chapter 8

"Good news." Haymitch said when we got back to our floor and cleaned up. "At least half the Tributes want you as an ally."

"Well, they saw her shoot." Peeta told him.

"Well, sweetheart, you got your pick of the litter." I glance at Peeta then back to Haymitch.

"I want Wiress and Beetee." I said.

"Johanna calls them "Nuts" and "Volts"." I made a face at the mention of Mason.

"Well, okay, good. Now, who else?" Haymitch asked me.

"Mags." I told them, strongly. Peeta sighs and turns around, I sent a glare to his back. "All right, fine, then no one." I snapped. I stood up from my seat and was about to storm out when Haymitch caught my arm.

"I'll them you're still making up your mind." He said to me. I just glared and yanked my arm out of his hold, storming away from all of them. I head to the roof where I could get some privacy from everything. I crossed my arms and leaned against the safe rail, looking up at the starless night wishing that I was at District Twelve and stargazing with my sisters. I let out a groan of annoyance when the door to the roof opens.

"Peeta, I'm not in the —" I turned around and trailed off at the sight of Odair standing behind me.

"Trouble in paradise?" He sassed with that sarcastic grin on his face. I shot him a scratching glare before turning back to the city landscape.

"What do you want, Odair?" I asked him. I glanced out the corner of my eye when he moved to stand beside me.

"I know." I snapped my head towards him, hands gripping the rail until my knuckles turned white.

"Know what?" I questioned through gritted teeth. He turned to face me but his smile was gone and was replaced with remorse. I stared at him, perplexed and a little insecure.

"Snow made you an offer you couldn't refuse because he threaten you." He walked forward causing me to stumble back a few steps. "He threaten you with the people you love and you agreed to it." He paused and let out a sad chuckle. "I wish I was as smart as you were and agreed to it first thing. I think a lot of us wish we were."

"What do mean 'us'?" I asked.

"A lot of Victors are in the same predicament as you, Calla Lily. You aren't alone in this life style but you were the smartest of us all." I looked down for a moment then back at him. "And I'm sorry that you are. You deserve better then being force to let them use you like this." He held a hand out to me. "I hope you can forgive me for my rudeness." I nodded and placed my hand in his.

"Allies?" I asked him. He stared at me shock before giving me a true grin.

"Allies." I smiled at him, "Can I walk you back to your floor?"

"Yeah, thank you." He offered his arm to me. I blush lightly and wrapped my arm around his.

"So, I've heard you get called by a few nicknames. How many do you have?" He asked me. I let out a chuckle at the strange question.

"Well, most people just call me by my whole name. Only my friends, sisters, and boyfriend call me by a nickname." I stated.

"He calls you Callie, right?" I nodded my head. "Okay, what about the others then?"

"Gale and Kat call me Cal while Haymitch is Cals, but he mostly calls me sweetheart. Prim calls me by Calla and Cinna loves to call me Allie." He lets out a whistle.

"Six nicknames and only using the first part of your name." He said, "You could make at least three out of the second part." I raised an eyebrow at him.

"Are you trying to tell me something?" I asked him.

"Well, if all of your friends get to call you by a nickname they made up, so will I." I burst into giggles. He shot me a playful grin. "There we go." I shot him a inquisitive look. "You've been too withdrawn from what I've notice. You just needed a new friend to give you some light." I looked at him inspired by his openness and friendliness. I found that we reached my floor all too soon.

"Thank you for walking me to my floor, Odair." I told him as I unwrapped my arm from his. He gave me a wounded look and placed a hand on his heart.

"Ow, you got me right were it hurts." I laughed. "At least call me by my first name, Lils." I stare at him startled for a moment.

"Alright, Fin." He wrinkled his nose causing me to laugh some more.

"Now I just sound like a fish." he whined.

"Well, you do come from the fishing District." I teased. He let out a huff of annoyance. We both turned around when the door slid open behind us. Haymitch stood there staring at us with a raised eyebrow, arms crossed.

"Your late. Curfew was thirty minutes ago." I rolled my eyes at his protectiveness and turn back to Fin.

"I'll see you tomorrow, Fin." He nodded and sent a smile to Haymitch.

"See ya, Lils." He walked over to the elevator, sending me a wave before the door closed. I push pass Haymitch and went to the dinning room to grab a bite.

"Fin?" He questioned, everyone was staring at us. I looked over my shoulder at him. "Lils? When did the two of you become chums?"

"About thirty minutes ago. He apologized for being rude to me." I told him while eating an apple. "I want him as a ally too." Peeta and Haymitch looked at me in surprise. I finished the apple, tossing the core onto a plate and left for my room. "Goodnight." I said, my voice bright and a slight bounce in my step.

~o~

When I woke up that morning, the slight happiness I had was gone was replaced with dread. Today was individual assessment day and as always, Peeta and I were last. I got dressed in my training outfit with it's matching jacket and went to breakfast. We ate in total silence then head off to the holding room. Everyone was there chatting to one another as we walked in and took the last two seats.

"District Three. Beetee Latier. Report for individual assessment." Peeta and I look over to Beetee and Wiress as he stood up and left. I grabbed Peeta's hand, squeezing it a bit too tight.

"It's gonna be okay, Callie." He whispered to me. I turned to look at him.

"How are we going to kill these people?" I asked him which he had no answer to. Soon, I was the last one in the holding room, waiting for my turn.

"District Twelve. Calla Lily Everdeen." I look up. "Report for individual assessment." I stood up and walk to the door. As I'm walking into the training room, Peeta slows his walk and stares at me in horror. I turn my head to him, confuse as he looks back at Gamemakers. I turn my head back to them as I walk to the center of the room. I furrow my brow when I spot the painting on the floor and look down to get a better look at it. My mouth drops open in shock as Rue final resting place stares at me. I feel a tear roll down my cheek as I stare at the painting. Did Peeta do this on purpose or did the Gamemakers make him do this?

"Miss. Everdeen." I ignore the call. "Miss. Everdeen!" I slowly turn my head to them. "You have ten minutes to present your chosen skill." I glared at them then rush to the stations. I grab a dummy and place it on a chart then grab some rope and paints. I began to write on the chest of the dummy before making hair, beard, mouth, and eyes on it. I tie the rope around its neck, pulling the rope through the rafters and hung the dummy. I tie the end of the rope to a table leg and bow. I walked away, leaving them murmuring at the Seneca Crane dummy I made.

~o~

Effie took me to Cinna for the final interview with Caesar tonight. He put my hair up in a braided but with white jewels and took me to see the outfit I would be wearing. It was a white fluffy monstrosity of a gown.

"A wedding dress?" I questioned him.

"President Snow insisted, but I made a few alterations." He told me. I raised an eyebrow at it.

"Like what? Make it super fluffy?" Cinna let out a laugh. He began to get me dress while we watched the interviews of the other Tributes.

"I just can't stop crying." Cashmere cried to Caesar.

"Does anybody actually believe this?" I asked.

"Apparently, everybody." Haymitch said as he munched on some grapes. He points to someone behind me. I turn to see Effie, Flavius, and Octavia sniffling behind me. "These Victors are angry, Cals. They'll say anything to try and stop the Games. I suggest you do the same." I turn back to the mirror.

"All right, turn around." Cinna said. He looked at me for a moment. "I think I'm done."

"Will I be twirling tonight?" I asked him.

"Save it for the end." I nodded.

"One minute. Is she ready?" We both turn to Effie. She lets out a gasp. "Oh, Calla Lily." She walks over to me. "Oh . . ." She takes my hand in hers. "You would have been the most beautiful bride." She told me, tearily.

"Thank you." Just as tearily as I realize, I may never get married to Peeta if we die in the Games.

"Let's go show them what real beauty looks like." I stare at her in shock and nodded. We walk to the stage and I get ready. "Oh, pretty, pretty, Calla Lily, they're going to adore you." I smiled at Effie. "And there are a lot of sponsors in the audience, so of course, just be your usual self. Actually, be your happier self." I let out a giggle.

"Really? A wedding dress?" We both turn to Mason.

"Snow made me wear it." I told her and look back front. She walked over to me.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, please welcome . . ."

"Make him pay for it." She said. I give her a look and turn back to Effie.

"You know her as the Girl on Fire. The Victor of last year's Hunger Games. Calla Lily Everdeen!" The doors slid open and I walked up the ramp onto the stage towards Caesar. "Calla Lily Everdeen, you look fabulous. Doesn't she?" He asked the crowd. "My, my! Whoo, whoo, whoo. Now, Calla Lily, this is a very big and very emotional night for all of us. Wouldn't you say?"

"Don't go crying on me, Caesar." I said teasingly.

"I can't make any promises. You know me." I let out a laugh while giving a bright smile.

"I wouldn't believe you, even if you did." The crowd burst into laughter.

"I love her! The Girl on Fire is so cheeky." He laughs. "But, Calla Lily, on a more serious note. I think we're all here a little disappointed, more than a little disappointed, that a certain wedding did not take place." He hissed out the last word. "Aren't we, folks?" The audience aws. I turn to look at them. "Alas. But am I correct in assuming that this is the gown that you would have worn on that day, yes or no?"

"Yes, President Snow thought everyone would want to see it." I answer.

"President Snow, as usual, was right." I barely mange not to roll my eyes or make a face. "Was he not, folks?" Caesar laughs. "I love it! I love it!" The crowd cheers, I gave them a big plastic smile. "Don't you love it, folks? It's incredible. It's so gorgeous. Would you do us the honor? Please? Please? Please?" I moved forward a bit and looked for Cinna. He gives me a nod just like he did last year. I begin to spin around in circles. My dress catching aflame from the hem, changing from white to black. The fluffy fabric turned into smooth silk looking like feathers. "Oh, my God!" I kept spinning until the fire reached the very top of me and spread my arms out. I had wings like a Mockingjay then I sent a look to Cinna and Haymitch, was I the Mockingjay? The audience cheers wildly.

"It's a bird." Caesar stammers. "It's got feathers. It's like a bird."

"Like a Mockingjay." I said loudly.

"Your stylist certainly has outdone himself this time, hasn't he? What theatricality! Cinna!" He stands up and raises his hand. "Take a bow." Which he does. He sends me a air kiss. I move to stand with the others as Peeta took his turn.

"But, Peeta, the wedding, the marriage, never to be?" Caesar asked.

"Well, actually, we got married." The audience gasps. "In secret."

"A secret wedding? All right. Do tell."

"We . . . We want out love to be eternal." Audience sighs.

"Of course."

"You know, Callie and I, we've been luckier than most. And I wouldn't have any regrets at all if it weren't . . ." He trails off looking like he's about to cry.

"If it weren't for what? What?" Caesar questioned.

"If it weren't for the baby." The audience clamored excitedly. Hell, I was too internally, I had no idea I was having a baby. All of the tributes glanced at me.

"All right. This is news! Let's find out more." The audience begins to shout. "Calm down. This is news to all of us." The crowd was beginning to scream for the Games to be called off. "All right." Caesar turned to Peeta, whispering something in his ear. "Let's, uh . . . Everybody, calm down." Peeta walked up the steps to me and pulled me into a hug. "It's a great night. A great night." I grabbed his hand and look to Chaff, taking his stump in mine. "This is news to all of us." Soon all of the Victor Tributes connected hands and we raised them into the air. "We're going to find out what we do about this." The audience clamors and Caesar turns around to look at us. Caesar turn to the stage hands and began to make cutting motions. The whole room went pitch black. We were dragged back to our floor, we changed into some normal clothes and waited for Haymitch and Effie to return.

"They won't cancel the Games." I whispered to Peeta. We stood up when Haymitch and Effie entered the room.

"Baby bomb was a stroke of genius. Unfortunately, Games are still on." I shut my eyes and looked away. "This is goodbye, for now."

"Presents for the boys." Effie said and handed them each a black box.

"What is this?" Haymitch asked as he open the box and pulled out a gold bangle.

"Your token. Remember?" She reminded him. "Hair for me. Pin for Calla Lily. Gold bangle for you. And for Peeta, the medallion that we talked about."  
"Thank you, Effie." Peeta told her with a small smile.

"We're a team. Aren't we?" I nodded to her. "And I'm so proud of my Victors." She hugged Peeta then turned to me. "So proud. You're so . . . Well, you both deserved so much better." She cried. I bit my lip. I've been hearing that one line way to much lately.

"Thank you, Effie." I whispered.

"I am truly sorry." She sobs and leaves the room.

"Thank you, Haymitch." Peeta hugged Haymitch. "For everything." I watched them for a moment.

"Any last advice?" I asked.

"Stay alive." My lips twitched a bit. He begins to leave.

"Wait." I went over to him and brought him into a hug. "Remember our deal." I whispered to him. I bit my lip for a moment. "Protect Cinna, please." I half whispered, half cried when I pulled back. "Do whatever it takes to keep them alive. Promise me."

"Okay." He nods. "Cals, when you're in the arena, remember who the real enemy is." He pets my hair then walks away. I watch on as he leaves, almost like how my father left me alone with a world of responsibilities to take on all by myself. _'Snow is the real enemy not the Tributes.'_ I thought to myself but I was going to have to kill the other Tributes anyway besides the one I allied with. Peeta took my hand and we walked to his room, laying down on the bed together. We didn't get any sleep that night, just held on to the other.

"I love you." I whispered to him and propped up on my elbow to look at him. He tuck some of my hair behind my ear.

"I love you too." He whispered back. I leaned down and gave him a soft kiss. Someone knocks at the door. We break apart and looked at the door, then back at each other. "I'll see you soon." I bit my lip and nodded. He got up from the bed, I turned and watch him leave.


	9. Chapter 9

Cinna came to get me and helped me into a wetsuit. He did my hair in my signature braid and we went to the elevator. The door opens revealing the aircraft that would take us to the arena. He placed a had on my back, guiding me out of the elevator and into the aircraft. I held out my arm to the Peacekeeper when he came to put my tracker in.

"Your tracker." He said and then violently jabs the needle into my skin. I let out a gasps when he pulls it out. I grip onto the seat as the craft takes off. We get to the arena quickly and move to my station.

"This suit is light. No thermal." Cinna told me as we waited for the count down to start. "So I'd guess tropics or desert."

"Sixty seconds to launch."

"That dress was beautiful." I said a little choked up. "The best one you've ever made."

"I thought you'd like it." He said with a small smile.

"I just wanted to tell you, because I don't . . ."

"Stop." He cut in, shaking his head. "Remember, I'm still betting on you, Girl on Fire." He pins my Mockingjay pin to my sleeve and covers it. We stare at each other for a few moments lost for words before he brings me into a embrace. I let out a sigh and close my eyes.

"Ten seconds to launch." We let go and I walk over to the tube. It closes me in but it doesn't move me up after the ten seconds are up. I look at it confused then to Cinna. The door to my station opens and three Peacekeepers rush in. One hits Cinna in the face causing him grunt.

"No!" I yelled, banging on the glass. "Cinna! No!" They bash his face into the glass, he falls to the ground. They begin to whack him with batons and kicks. I continue to scream and bang on the glass. "No! Cinna!" I sobbed. My tube begins to rise as they dragged him away. "Please, Cinna!" But my voice was too muffled and everything went black. "No, no . . ." I sobbed to myself. I look up as sunlight pours over me. I look around, my breathing coming in pants. Water, water was everywhere. The Cornucopia was on an island and there was a beach that connected to a jungle. I looked for Peeta, he can't swim and especially not with his metal leg. I look at the two Careers beside me, breathing heavily.

"Let the 75th Hunger Games begin." I kept looking for Peeta. "May the odds be ever in your favor."

"Peeta?" I whispered, panting.

"Ten, nine, eight, seven, six," I get ready to jump into the water. "five, four, three, two, one." The cannon fires. I dive into the water and began to swim to the lines coming from the island. I climb up onto the rocks. I glance over, panting and spotted Brutus. I quickly get up onto the ledge and run to the Cornucopia. I kept looking around, watching the other Tributes and making sure I didn't slip. I glanced to my left to see a male Tribute was keeping speed with me which only caused me to go faster. I glanced over to him again and watched him trip and fall. I got onto the island and grabbed the bow and quiver of arrows. I notched an arrow and aimed it at the Tribute that was running up to the Cornucopia. I released the arrow and it hit his foot. He fell into the water. I notched another when a clattering sounded behind me. Fin raised his hand showing me Haymitch's gold bangle.

"Good thing we're allies, right?" He asked. I nodded and lower my bow slightly. "Duck." I did as he told me. He threw his trident, hitting a Tribute coming up behind me. I gasped as the cannon fires. "Don't trust One and Two." I watched him as he took his trident out of the dead male. "I'll take this side. You hold them off. I'll go find Peeta." I stood up and notched another arrow, shooting it at Enobaria. She dodges and dives into the water, the arrow missing her by inches. Fin rounds the corner. "Lils, Mags found him. He's over here." We raced back towards Mags and Peeta. As soon as Mags saw us, she begins to point towards the water. We all look out towards Peeta's pedestal to see him try to get back on it but only to be pulled into the water by another Tribute. Fin dives into the water after he gives Mags his trident and I notch an arrow but don't have a clear enough shot. I lower my bow and just watch with Mags as Peeta tries to fight off the other Tribute. Suddenly, the tribute pulls Peeta under the water.

"Peeta?" I called. Fin begins to swim faster when they don't resurface after a few minutes. A cannon fires off. "Peeta!" I screamed. A body floats to the top of the water, facing down into the water. Air bubbles began to appear next to it. Peeta jumps up in the water, gasping. I sigh in relief and look to the island. The Career pack was there making plans. Fin places Mags on his back and we begin to run into the jungle, trying to get as far away from the Cornucopia.

"Lils, Lils, go, go, go!" Fin stopped and made me run in front of him. We kept running, the cannons going off. "Okay, hold up. Hold up." Peeta and I stopped in a leafy area, "Here you go." Fin gently placed Mags back on the ground. We all sat down in a small circle. Bugs buzzing around us and birds chirping in the air.

"God, it's hot." Peeta said. "We gotta find fresh water." The cannon went off three times.

"Well, I guess we're not holding hands anymore." Fin chuckles.

"Fin, it's not funny." I scolded him in disapproval. "Those were people who probably had a life waiting for them back home." He had the grace to look a little ashamed.

"Let's keep moving." Peeta told us. I handed him a machete as Fin got Mags back onto his back. Peeta lead the way, cutting down anything blocking our patch while I was in the back as look out. I glanced around, I squinted my eyes when I saw something simmer up head near Peeta. I looked at it a little more closely. _'Forcefield!'_ I thought a little too late as Peeta swung his sword at it.

"Peeta, no!" I yelled. He hit the forcefield and his body shot back into us. I quickly scrambled up and over to him. "Peeta?" I asked when I saw his body wasn't moving. I turned him on his back, "Peeta?" I start to check for his pulse. He wasn't breathing. I turned to Fin, hysterical. "He's not breathing!" I cried to him, then look back at Peeta. "He's not breathing!" Fin pushed me out of the way and began to perform CPR on Peeta. I placed my hand on Peeta's head. "Peeta?"

"Come on! Come on!" Fin exclaimed.

"Please, wake up." I sob. "No." Tears running down my face, uncontrollable.

"Come on!" I grab onto his shoulder. "Come on. Come on. Come on, Peeta!" Fin continued to perform CPR.

"Please, Peeta. Peeta." I whispered out with a hoarse voice. After one more puff of air into his mouth, Peeta gasped for air. "Peeta?" I brushed my hand through his hair. He opens his eyes and looks at me. "Oh, my God." I sobbed to him.

"Be careful. There's a force field up there." He told us. I let out a watery chuckle and kiss him. My body shaking with left over fright.

"You were dead. Your heart stopped." I went back to sobbing.

"It's okay." He whispered. "It's working now." I placed my head into his shoulder.

"Do you wanna stand up?" I asked him, not caring about my grammar at the moment.

"Yeah." He nodded. I help him slowly off the ground and wrap my arms around him, still shaking. "It's okay." He whispered into my ear. We begin to move again but this with me in the front, throwing rocks to see where the force field was.

"Hang on." I said after a moment of studying it. I walk over to a tall tree and begin to climb up it, all the way to the top. I look all around, spotting the island and beach then look up towards the sky. I notch a arrow, shooting it up at the dome. Once the arrow hit, the force field showed itself. I climbed back down the tree and went back to the others. "The force field is a dome. We're at the edge of the arena." I sat down next to Peeta. "I couldn't find any signs of fresh water." I sighed.

"It's gonna get dark soon." We look towards Fin. "We'll be safe with our backs protected. Wh should set up camp. Take turns sleeping. I can take the first watch."

"No." I shook my head. "I'll take it." He raised an eyebrow at me. "I won't be able to sleep after everything that's happen." Fin sighs and nods.

"Alright, but I'll stay up with you for a bit." I nodded, I turned to Peeta.

"Why don't you get some rest?" He looked at me then towards Fin.

"Just for a little bit." He told me and went to go sleep. I look over and watch Fin help Mags find somewhere to rest. I sit down on a rock and leaned back against the trees. Peeta found a place that was in my line of view which I was grateful for. Fin came back over to me and sat down. It began to grow dark as we sat there.

"How's Peeta?" He asked after a while.

"Fine. Dehydrated like the rest of us." I said. The anthem begins to play waking Peeta and Mags up. We watched as all of the fallen Tributes pictures showed up in the sky. "Eight." I said out loud like last time.

"Mmm-hmm." I snapped my head to Fin, startled. He raised his eyebrows.

"Sorry." was all I said to him as a electronic beep chimed. I look up and spot a parachute. "Hey." I went over to it. I open the basket and picked up the note inside.

"Drink up - H." I look at the silver piece of metal.

"Drink up?" I question as I took it out and then look to the trees.

"What is it?" Fin asked.

"I think it's a spile." I told him, going over to a tree and hit it in with a rock. I watch it, hoping I was right. Peeta came over to us as we waited. I gasp in delight when water begins to stream out.

"You're kidding me. You're kidding me." Fin said in shock as I took a drink. "Get some water." He told Peeta then took his turn after Peeta. "I'm gonna get a leaf." He ran off to get a leaf for Mags. I took another drink and splash some of it on my face. "I'll get some for Mags." Fin whispered to me and went over to her with the water. After a bit, Peeta and Mags went back to sleep leaving Fin and I to lookout. Everyone jolted up when a alarm sounded rhythmically. Then it suddenly stops.

"I counted twelve." I told Fin.

"Midnight?" He questioned.

"Or the number of District." I turned when I heard a machine powering up in the distance. Then lightening starts to hit a tree with thunder rumbling. I counted the number of times the tree was struck.

"Well." Fin sighs as I tilted my head to him but not looking away from the lightening. "If you're not gonna sleep, I will."

"Okay." I whispered, still counting the strikes. I leaned against a trunk as I kept watch, my eye lids slowly falling shut. My head rolls to the side and I jerk up with a gasp. I look over to Peeta, seeing he's still asleep. I get up and walk around to keep myself awake. I look up when everything goes silent. Turning my head to the side, I see white fog slowly creeping up on us. I stick my hand out to it, only to jerk it back with a pain filled scream. "Run! The fog is poison!" I yelled to the others. We all scrambled up, Fin rushes over to Mags.

"Come on, come on, come on." He chants to her as she gets on his back. I held my hand to my chest as we ran as fast as we could from the fog. We run through the forest, the fog close behind us. We change direction when the fog cornered us. I trip over a root or something and fall to the ground with a grunt. I glanced back at the fog. Peeta runs back to me and helps me up as the fog gets us. We both let out loud groans as the fog hits us as we try to get up. Peeta kept falling to the ground after that, I went over to him and slung his arm around my shoulder. I turned my head at the sound of Fin screaming in pain. Peeta trips again, bringing me down with him.

"Peeta." He's covered in blisters caused by the fog. I look up when Fin comes over with makes. "I can't carry him." I told him. I turn back to Peeta. "Please, stand up. We have to go." I pleaded with him, even though it was no use.

"Mags?" I turn at Fin's call. "Mags?" His voice broke, I shot over Peeta to grab hold of him. "Mags!"

"Fin." I called to him as we watch Mags walk into the fog.

"Mags!" He yelled and the cannon went off. I tugged on his arm.

"Fin." He turned to me. "We have to go. I'm sorry, but we have to get out of here." He pulls one of Peeta's arm over his shoulder while I take the other one.

"All right, come on, come on." We stand up and hobble as fast as we could. The fog vastly gaining on us. We all screamed in agony as the fog brushed our backs before we tumbled down a hill. I jerkily turned around and watched powerless as the fog closed in on us. But it went upwards then disappeared. I let out a sigh before tilting my head when I saw a monkey in the tree.


	10. Chapter 10

Turning around, I spotted a small pond and crawled my way over to it. Panting from all of the running, I plunged my hand into the water. I let out a scream as the blisters went away. I begin to rub at the blisters with my other hand, gasping.

"The water! The water has healing properties." I called over to Peeta and Fin. Peeta groans as he crawls over to me and the water. We groan loudly as we slid into the water. I rubbed the water a over me to get rid of the blisters. After Peeta and I were done, we went and got Fin. Dragging him into the water, I held him afloat as Peeta wash the blisters off him. "We need our weapons." I told Peeta. He ran off to get them and I took over of caring for Fin. Once Fin was able to move on his own, I went and sat on a rock near him. Peeta brought our weapons over and then went to get some water. I looked over to Fin. "I'm sorry about Mags." He looks up at me then back to the water.

"She was never gonna make it." I placed an hand on his.

"I know but I'm still sorry. I know what it's like to lose someone." I told him, my voice soft. He sent me a small smile.

"Thank you." I smiled and nodded, letting him go back to cleaning his trident. I looked at him when he nudged me. He nodded his head for me to look behind me. I turned and saw the monkey mutts again. I calmly took an arrow out of my quiver and stood up with Fin. "What?" We looked around us, the mutts surrounded us. I look to my right and through a gap in the trees, I could see the Cornucopia.

"Peeta." I called to him, gently.

"Yeah?" I rolled my eyes at his loud response as he turned to look at me.

"Walk over here slowly." He turned back as a monkey came close to him and roared in his face. He slowly walked backwards from the mutt to Fin and I. The mutts following him.

"Whoa." The monkeys continued to growl at us. We all glanced around, trying to keep track of the mutts.

"Get to the beach." I order them and made to move but the mutts blocked the way. I let out a gasp as they moved closer to us and their growling intensifies. I turn to look behind me as Peeta kills one. I began to release arrow after arrow at the mutts while the boys stabbed. I turned back to the patch for the beach, it was clear of the monkeys. I spun around at the sound of one of the mutts getting very close to me and find it flying at me. I let out a shriek and hold my bow against it as it plunges me underwater. I try to push it away from me with little results as it snaps at my face. Someone pulls me out from the water after the kill the mutt.

"We gotta get to the beach!" Peeta exclaimed as I gasped for air. We being to run to the beach with the mutts behind us. A mutt jumps on me and drags me to the ground then goes after Peeta. The monkey jumps but attacks with someone else. Peeta stabs it and pushes it away from the person. I'm trying to kick another mutt away from me when Fin stabs it. I move to Peeta.

"Who is that?" I asked him.

"A Morphling! Help me get her!" He said and we drag her with to the beach with Fin protecting our backs. We pull her into the water and Peeta tries to calm her down. "Hey, hey, hey. It's okay." He told her. "It's okay. Shh!" She's wheezing for air. "Hey, you wanna see something? Look up. Look." We all look up. "Look at it. Look at that." The sun was beginning to rise causing that color of orange Peeta liked, to show in the sky. "It's incredible, isn't it?" He asked her. "All those colors. Don't worry about anything else." He looked back up to the sky. "I'll be right here with you. It's okay. It's okay." Her wheezing stops and the cannon goes off. Peeta lays her down in the water and we moved back to shore. I took Peeta's hand in mine as we watch the aircraft take the female Morphling away. "She sacrificed herself for me and I didn't even know her name."

"Sacrifice?" I questioned him. He looked at me.

"It's what it looked like." I turn back to the aircraft in wonder.

"That doesn't make any sense." I said. The aircraft took off with the body inside it. I look over to see Fin spear something with his trident. He pulled it up and at the bottom was a big red fish. He walked over to me and handed me the fish. "Thank you." He just nodded and went back to fishing. Using Peeta's machete, I cut the fish open. I debone it a little and gutted it before taking a bite. Peeta found some clams and was opening one up to eat. He plucked something out of it and handed it to me.

"Look. For you." I look at the small black circle and took it in my hand. I let out a gasp when I realize it's a pearl, I look back to him.

"Thank you." He smiles at me and I lean over to place a kiss on his cheek and place the pearl in my quiver pocket. We snap our heads up when we hear a woman screaming in the distance.

"That's new." Peeta said as we all stood up. We watched as a giant wave of water rushes towards the Cornucopia and a cannon fires. The water reaches the island but doesn't come straight at us until it splashes back into the water and causes a smaller wave, that washes over our feet. A aircraft comes to take the body away. I turned to look down the beach and spotted someone along the edge.

"Someone's here." I told Peeta and Fin as I took a arrow out. They followed my lead and hid in the leafs, watching the new arrivals.

"Johanna?" I heard Fin muttered and before I could stop him, he jogged over to the group. "Johanna!" He shouted.

"Finnick!" She shouted back. She lets out a laugh as he got closer to her.

"Guess we have more allies." Peeta said and followed after Fin. My lips thinned out and I looked away, letting out a huff of anger then followed after my boys.

"Well . . . I got 'em out." I heard Johanna as I got closer to them. I looked over to Beetee, who was in the water. He was covered in a red substance. "We were all the way deep into the jungle where I thought it was gonna be safe." Then I noticed that Mason and Wiress was covered in the same red substance. "That's when the rain started. I thought it was water. It turned out to be blood." I jolted back a little in repulse at knowing what they were covered in now.

"Tick tock." I looked to Wiress.

"Hot, thick blood." Mason pushed her away. "It was coming down."

"Tick tock." Wiress repeated.

"It was choking us." Mason scoffs. "We were stumbling around, gagging on it, blind."

"Tick Tock." I shot a concerned look towards Wiress.

"That's when Blight hit the force field." Wiress kept repeating the same two words over again and again. "He wasn't much, but he was from home."

"What's wrong with her?" I asked with concern.

"She's in shock." Beetee told me. "Dehydration isn't helping." I help him stand up from the water. "Do you have fresh water?" He asked me.

"We can get some." I told him then jerked my head to Mason and Wiress.

"Tick tock." Wiress took Mason by the shoulders and spanned her around.

"Listen. Stop it!"

"Hey!" I shouted at Mason. "Lay off her!" I charged after her when she pushed Wiress to the ground.

"Just sit down!" I shoved her away from Wiress. "Hey! What are you doing?"

"Hey, hey, hey!" Fin called and pulled Mason away from me.

"I got them out for you!" I gave her a confused glare as Fin dragged her away.

"It's okay. It's oaky." Fin told her as Peeta moved me away from them.

"Let me go, Finnick." I turned to Peeta.

"For me? What does that mean?" I asked him.

"You did want them as allies." He said. Wiress picked herself back up and stared at us.

"Tick tock." She said. I tossed my bow to the ground and handed the quiver to Peeta.

"Let's clean you up, Wiress." I said to her and moved her to the water.

"Tick tock." She grabs my hands. I nodded along.

"Tick tock." I said. She nodded.

"Tick tock." She repeated. I sat her down in the water and begin to wash the blood out of her hair. Mason cleaning her ax to my right. I look over to Beetee, seeing him mess with some wire or something.

"What's Beetee have there?" I asked her.

"The coil? It's some kind of wire." She told me.

"Mmmm." He must've gotten from the Cornucopia. Suddenly, Wiress lets out a loud gasp.

"Tick tock! Tick tock!"

"All right. I can't." I head Mason say. "Have fun with Nuts." I sent a quick glare to her retreating back then turn my attention back to Wiress. I look up as I hear the machine powering up again and the lightening strikes the tree. _'Tick tock?'_ I thought while looking at lightening storm. I look at the Cornucopia. _'Tick tock.'_ I snapped my gaze to the floats that divided the water into sections.

"Tick tock." I look down to Wiress. _'A clock.'_

"It's a clock." I whispered. "It's a clock!" I exclaimed to Wiress. "You're a genius, Wiress!" I walked us back to the others, explaining to them what I just figured out with Wiress. "The entire arena seems to be laid out like a clock with a new threat every hour, but they stay only within their wedge." I pointed to the tree. "It starts with the lightning. Then the blood rain, fog, monkeys." I motion to each sections as we walk to the Cornucopia. "That's the first four hours. At 10:00, that big wave hits from over there."

"Wiress, you're a genius." Fin tells her as he walked passed.

"Look, the tail points to twelve." Peeta said, pointing to the tail of the Cornucopia.

"That's where the lightning strikes at noon and midnight." Beetee moved over to Peeta.

"Strikes where?" He asked. I point to the huge tree.

"That big tree." I told him.

"Good." I heard Wiress sing 'Hickory dickory dock' in the background. Peeta draws the clock in the black sand of the Cornucopia.

"So 12:00 to 1:00, lightning. Then 1:00 to 2:00 is blood. Then fog. And then monkeys." He said as he made each wedge.

"And then 10:00 to 11:00, the wave." I said, looking at the clock. "What about everything else? Did you guys see anything?" I asks them.

"Nothing but blood." Mason said.

"It doesn't matter." Peeta stated, "As long as we steer clear of whichever sector is active, we'll be safe." I turn to look at Wiress when she gasps. My eyes widen in horror as I saw Gloss yank a knife out of her. I quickly shot a arrow into him, making his cannon go off. Mason pushes me out of the way and throws her ax at Cashmere. I look up from the ground and fire an arrow at the other part of the Career pack then chase after them. Suddenly the island begins to spin, I fall to the ground and slide down to the water. I grab hold of a ledge but my fingers slip, I let out a scream as I slid to the water. Mason grabbed my hand and hook her ax into the rock.

"Hold on!" She called me, but my fingers begin to slip out of her hold. "No!" I flew into the water, tossing and turning. I swam towards the surface as fast as I could once the spinning stop. I gasped for air when I break the surface, coughing up water. I drag myself up on one of the floats, still coughing as everyone ran towards me.

"You okay?" I heard Peeta ask me. I give him a thumbs up as I turn over.

"Let's just get what we need and get off the bloody island." Mason said as Peeta helped me up. We grabbed what we needed and head back to the beach, I took the rest of my hair holder and let it dry.


	11. Chapter 11

We sat down in the sand and tried to figure out who was left.

"Besides Brutus and Enobaria, who's left?" I asked them.

"Maybe Chaff. Just those three." Peeta said. I looked to him.

"They know they're outnumbered. I doubt they'll attack again." I nodded in agreement with Fin statement. "We're safe here on the beach."

"That is until the Gamemakers decide to bring the danger to us." I told him, thinking back to the dog mutts last year.

"So what do we do? We hunt 'em down?" Mason asked, I rolled my eyes. I turn to say something to her when I thought I heard young girl scream. I snap my head back to the jungle, my brow furrowed.

"Calla, help me!" I heard Prim scream.

"Prim!" I screamed in fear and jumping up from my seat on the ground, running to go find her.

"No!" Fin yelled after me.

"Cals, help!" Kat screamed. I booked it into the jungle.

"Kat! Prim!" I yelled, the fear consuming me.

"Lils! Lils, wait!" I heard Fin call out to me from behind.

"Prim! Kat!" I screamed as I ran through the jungle, searching for both of them. My sisters screams continue causing me to sob. "Prim! Kat!" I cried when I came to a clearing. I turned in circles, trying to spot them. I look up when I hear a fluttering sound, like wings flapping. I spotted a bird flying above me, Jabberjay. I notched an arrow and shot it down causing the screaming to stop.

"Lils!" I turned to Fin as he ran to me, panting. "You okay?"

"Finnick!" He looks up in shock and runs.

"Annie!" I try to grab him.

"Fin. No! It's not her." I run after him.

"Annie!" He screams. "Annie! Annie!"

"Fin! It's not her." I got in front of him, "It's just a Jabberjay. It's not her."

"Well, how do you think they got that sound?" He asked me. "Jabberjays copy." I stare at him in horror.

"No." I cried shaking my head, "Your wrong."

"Cal!" I turn my head at Gale's groan.

"Gale." I whispered. Suddenly, a flock of Jabberjays flew after us, all of them using a voice and screaming. Fin grabs my arm, pushing me to run in front of him.

"Come on, come on, come on!" He yelled at me. I tried to cover one of my ears and bat the Jabberjays away with the other with little results. I begin to sob loudly as they flew by my face, using my loved ones against me. Prim, Kat, Mom, Gale, Haymitch, Effie, Mr. Mellark, and Cinna, all of them screaming in my ear.

"Peeta!" I yelled to him when I saw him up ahead. He looked like he was stuck and was banging on a invisible wall. I ran right into the wall and begin to panic, hitting on it with my hands. "No!" I sobbed, the tears rolling down my cheeks. I looked around then covered my ears, screaming and curled myself into fetal position. I clenched my eyes shut and screamed loudly, trying to block the sounds of the Jabberjays. I begin rocking, trying to keep sane for the hour long torture. I let out a small cries.

"It's over. It's okay. They're gone." Peeta's voice muggy then slowly came clearer. "The hour's gone. The hour's up. It's all right." I jolted up with a gasp when I felt him touch me.

"Prim! Kat! Find them!" My voice almost gone from the screaming.

"No, no. They're okay." I grab onto him. He kept calm while he tried to get me to relax. I shook my head, breathing heavily. "Okay? They won't touch your sisters. All right?" I nodded my head.

"Your fiancé's right. The whole country loves your sisters." We look to Mason. "If they tortured them or did anything to them, forget the districts, there would be riots in the damn Capitol." She sent me a smirk. "Hey, how does that sound, Snow?" She called loudly. "What if we . . . What if we set your backyard on fire?" We all stared at her. "You know, you can't put everybody in here." She turned back to us. "What? They can't hurt me. There's no one left that I love."

"Just wait a few hours and I'll throw in with the Jabberjays then you'll see that they can hurt you." They turned to me, eyes widen with shock. I stood up shakily, pushing away Peeta's help. Mason glared at me.

"You have no idea what your talking about." She scoffs.

"You know, your not the only one with dead loved ones." I shouted at her and then pointed to the Jabberjays. "I just spent an hour listening to all of my loved ones scream for me to help them because they were in pain. Gamemakers didn't just use voices of the living, they used the voice of the dead too." She looked at me with hidden horror in her eyes. I moved over to her until I was directly in her face. "Do you know what it's like to listen to the screams of the people you failed for an hour, Mason?" I asked her. She shook her head. "No, but I do and that is torture in itself." I turned to look at everyone else, "We should head back to the beach." Peeta stood up and helped me back to the shore while everyone followed behind us. Fin moved ahead of us and went to the water, sitting down in it. I followed him after Peeta sat down on the sand. He glanced at me from the corner of his eye.

"What voices did you hear?" He asked me, softly.

"My sisters and mom, Gale and his family, Haymitch, Effie, Cinna, my prep team, even Peeta and his father. But what scared me the most was hearing my father's and Rue's voice." He turned to me with a vulnerable expression.

"How are you even still sane? I only had one voice and it drove me mad." I shrugged.

"I don't have the luxury to have a breakdown this time around, there's too much at stake." He nodded then looked behind us, then back at me.

"You really don't like Johanna, do you?" He had a force smirk on his face.

"No, not at all but she's helping." I muttered out. I glanced at Fin. "Annie was the girl Mags volunteered for." His fake smirk slipped off his face.

"Yeah." He nodded.

"Was she the one you were talking to during the interviews?" I asked. All he did was nod, I bit my lip and put a comforting hand on his. He looked at me with bright eyes. "At least you got to say something to her, unlike Peeta and I." He let out a watery chuckle.

"Finnick! Everdeen!" We turned to look at Mason, "Come on, Volts got a plan." Getting up from the water, we joined the others to heard Beetee's plan.

"Where do the Careers feel safest? The jungle?" He asked us.

"The jungle's a nightmare." Mason said.

"Probably here on the beach." Peeta told him.

"Then why are they not here?" He asked Peeta.

"Because we are. We claimed it." I rolled my eyes and look at her.

"It's because they know their out numbered and the only way to attack us would be by surprise." She narrowed her eyes at me while Fin gave me a impress look. I turned back to Beetee. "Their most likely hiding within the end of the tree line where it meets the beach."

"So if we left, they would come." I nodded.

"They'd stay hidden in the tree line, just to make sure it wasn't a trick." Beetee gave me respected look.

"Which in just over four hours will be soaked with water from the 10:00 wave. And what happens at midnight?" He asked.

"Lightning strikes that tree." Peeta said.

"Here's what I propose. We leave the beach at dusk. We head to the lightning tree. That should draw them back to the beach. Prior to midnight we then run this wire from the tree to the water. Anyone in the water or on the damp sand will be electrocuted." Peeta picked up some of the sand.

"How do we know the wire's not gonna burn up?" Mason questioned.

"Because I invented it." He told her, rubbing the coil. "I assure you, it won't burn up." I watch Mason and Fin have a silent conversation together and look over to Peeta.

"Well, it's better than hunting them down." Mason said.

"Yeah, why not?" I look to Beetee. "If it fails, no harm done anyway, right?"

"All right, I say we try it." Peeta agreed.

"So what can we do to help?" Fin asked.

"Keep me alive for the next six hours. That would be extremely helpful." Beetee told us. We waited for the sun to set, Peeta and I went to sit by ourselves to watch the others.

"I think we need to go." I told him.

"This plan's gonna work." He looked at me.

"I think so, too." I admitted, "And once the Careers are dead, we both know what happens next. I don't want to be the one that shoots first."

"What if they don't either? What if all of us refuse to shoot first?" He asked. I shook my head.

"We'd probably still end up dead, Peeta." He looked away.

"Maybe not. I mean, it worked for us last time."

"That won't happen again, they won't let it." I smirked at the reminder. "We both know that there's only one person walking out of here. And it's going to be one of us."

"The Careers are still out there. We should stick with these guys till midnight. And if we hear a cannon, we go." I bit my lip but nodded in agreement. "Callie, I don't know what kinda deals you made with Haymitch but he made me promises, too." I stare at him. He takes off the necklace Effie gave him, opened it and handed it to me. I look at it and let out a broken gasp. There were pictures of my mom and sisters in it. "If you die and I live, I'd have nothing. Nobody else that I care about."

"Peeta." I choked out.

"It's different for you. Your family needs you." I look down at the locket again then back to Peeta. "You have to live. For them."

"What about you?" I asked, already feeling the tears coming. He gives me a bitter smile.

"Nobody needs me." I burst into tears and shake my head.

"I need you, Peeta. I need you." I cupped his face with my hands and kissed him. He wrapped his hands around my neck and brought me into another kiss when we parted a bit. We broke apart again and pressed our foreheads together.

"All right, lovebirds!" We opened our eyes and looked over to them. Peeta stood up and helped me up, keeping hold of my hand in his as we walked through the jungle to the lightning tree.


	12. Chapter 12

We trekked through the jungle with little conversation. We paused when the anthem began to play and looked up to the sky. The last picture was of Chaff which meant there was only seven of us left in the arena. We got back to walking when the music stopped playing. When we finally reach the tree, Beetee stared at it for a bit.

"Minimal charring." He said. "It's an impressive conductor. Let's get started." We moved to the tree. "Typically a lightning strike contains five billion joules of energy." We begin to wrap the tree with the wire. "We don't want to be anywhere in the vicinity when this hits." Beetee holds the rest of the wire out to me. "You two girls, go together now." I take it. "Take this. Unspool it carefully. Make sure the entire coil is in the water. You understand?" I turn to look at Mason as Beetee was staring at her. "Then head to the tree at the 2:00 sector. We'll meet you there." He looked back to me.

"I'm gonna go with them as a guard." Peeta spoke up.

"No, no, no. You're staying here to protect me." Beetee told him. "And the tree."

"No, I need to go with her." He argued.

"There are two Careers out there. I need two guards." I look to Mason then back to the others.

"Finnick can protect you just fine on his own." Peeta stated.

"Why can't Fin and Mason stay with you and Peeta and I'll take the coil?" I asked Beetee. He walked over to me.

"You all agreed to keep me alive till midnight, correct?" He asked me. I didn't reply to him.

"It's his plan. We all agreed to it." I glanced to Mason.

"Is there a problem here?" Fin asked, I turned to him but still don't say anything.

"Excellent question." Beetee stated.

"No. There's no problem." I lied to them all. I went over to Peeta and gave him a kiss. "I'll see you at midnight." I said, not realizing that would be our last kiss.

"All right, let's go!" Mason called. I followed after her, glancing behind me to look back at Peeta. We watched each other for a moment before I had to turn around to keep up with Mason. She helped me done the rocks by taking my bow so I'd have a hand free. "Come on. I want to put as much distance between me and this beach as possible. Frying is not how I want to go." My arm holding the wire tugs backwards causing me to pause and look back. I pull on it but the wire doesn't move.

"Something . . ." I trailed off in a whisper. The wire snaps, sending me backwards to the ground. I get up quickly to load an arrow when I'm hit in the back of the head. I let out a loud grunt as I fell back to the ground. I feel someone take my arm and slice it open, making me scream in pain.

"Shhhh." I heard Mason. She places her hands on my neck, spreading my blood over it. "Stay down." She whispered to me. People ran passed me after her, I slowly sit up. My head feeling heavy and light at the same time.

"Johanna, where are you?" I heard Fin yell. I scooted back and hid underneath the little edge of dirt. I heard him stop close by. "Johanna?" He whispered out then moved on. I look back to the tree.

"Peeta." I said softly and made my way back to the lightning tree. On my way back, I picked up the wire where it was cut and brought it with me. "Peeta." No one was there, I saw someone fly away from the force field and ran to them. Beetee was on the ground with a spear wrapped in the wire next to him. A cannon fires off. "Peeta!" I screamed in fear. "Peeta!" I turned to my left as something moved to me. I hid in the leaves with a arrow at ready.

"Lils, where are you?" Fin yelled as he stopped at the edge of the trees. I aim my arrow at him, breathing heavily. Fin turned his head and then stared right at me. He raised his hands in surrender. "Lils." His voice broke. "Remember who the real enemy is." I slowly lower my bow. _'Snow.'_ I turned to the tree when the machine began to power up. I pick up the loose wire and begin to wrap it around my arrow. "Lils, get a away from that tree!" I heard him yell but I ignored him. "Lils, get away from that tree!" I aimed my bow and arrow up at the sky and waited for the first strike of lightning. I let out a scream as I released my arrow. I'm flung back by the explosion, grunting as I hit the ground with a loud thump. Slowly blinking my eyes open, I'm greeted with sunlight as the arena begins to fall apart around me. A aircraft starts to descend from above me, the claw drops and scoops me up. My eye lids begin to droop, I let out one last sigh. My head drops backwards and my eyes close, my world going dark. I let out a gasp when I jolt awake. I look around then take off the breathing mask and IV stuck in my arm. I look over to my right and see Beetee, still unconscious. I stand up and walk to the cockpit but grabbing a syringe on my way, hiding it behind my back. I moved to the door and listen for a moment.

"She's gonna lost it, when she finds out about the boy." I frown and stare at the door, _'Haymitch?'_.

"She'll still cooperate, though?" That was Plutarch.

"Without Peeta? There's no guarantee." My eyes widen and I moved closer to the door. The door slides open to reveal Haymitch, Fin, and Plutarch.

"Just tell her when . . ." Fin trailed off when they all turned to me. I stare at them all, confused and scared.

"Morning, sweetheart." Haymitch moved to me, I narrow my eyes at him. I charged him and try to stab him with the syringe. He caught my arm and pushed me back against the wall.

"What are you doing with them?" I asked, breathing heavily. "Where's Peeta?"

"You and a syringe against the Capitol. See, this is why no one lets you make the plans." I stare at Fin, trying to understand what was going on here.

"Peeta? Where's Peeta?" I asked again, no one answered me. "What the hell are you doing in here?" I asked Fin, getting upset that no one would tell me where Peeta is.

"Stop. Stop. Just listen." He told me.

"We couldn't tell you with Snow watching. It was too risky." I turned to look at Haymitch. "Better for you to know nothing." He lets go of me and I push him away.

"Where's Peeta?" I repeated once again.

"Now, Calla Lily." I look over to Plutarch. "You have been our mission from the beginning. The plan was always to get you out. Half the Tributes were in on it. This is the revolution. And you are the Mockingjay. And we're on our way to District Thirteen right now."

"Thirteen?" I questioned.

"Thirteen. Yes." Plutarch nodded.

"Where's Peeta?" I asked him. He let out a sigh and looked away, walking over to a different part of the room. Fin turned his back towards me.

"He still has his tracker in his arm. Johanna cut yours out." Haymitch explained.

"Where is he?" I asked, confused.

"In the Capitol." My mouth dropped open slightly. "They got him and Johanna." I shook my head.

"No!" I screamed out, tears begin to run down my cheeks. "No, no, no. Peeta." I sobbed out, almost sounding like I've gone insane. I kept sobbing as I look around the room trying to find him, to make this nightmare end but I don't find him and the nightmare doesn't end, it will never end. I turn my head back to Haymitch with a venomous glare. "You son of a bitch!" I screamed at him and slapped him in the face with full force. I went to hit him again. "You son of a . . ." He captures my wrists with his hands to keep me from hitting him again. "You promised me that you would save him! You promised!" I sobbed out loudly like a scream. I felt something poke me in the back, I fell to the ground when my legs went numb. "You're a liar." I cried as he gently laid me down on the ground. "I hate you, I hate you." I sobbed before the darkness washed over me again. I woke up again in another place that I've never seen be for. I felt a hand on my shoulder and looked over. Kat was sitting on the edge of the bed I was laying on.

"Hey, Cal." She said softly with a small smile. "You're okay. You've just been asleep for a few days."

"Are we home?" I asked her. Her smile drops and she looks away. "Kat? Where's Prim and mom?"

"They're alive. So is Mr. Mellark. Gale got us out in time." I furrow my brow in confusion.

"Got you out in time?" I questioned.

"After the Games, they sent in hovercrafts. And they starred dropping firebombs." I stared at her was my eyes begin to water.

"We're not in Twelve?" She looked back at me with a blank face.

"There is no District Twelve. It's all gone." I shook my head and stared up at the ceiling shaking in sorrow. They took everything thing from me. My home. My Baker Boy. I begin to glare up at the ceiling. No more, Snow will fall and I will be the one to do it.

It's time to spread my wings, it's time I became the Mockingjay.


End file.
